Virtual keyboard system and control method thereof

Abstract

In a device that uses a virtual keyboard, an input field and a virtual keyboard used upon data input to that field are registered in association with each other. Upon data input, the associated virtual keyboard is used. When no associated virtual keyboard is available, a virtual keyboard of the system is used.

1 . A virtual keyboard system using a virtual keyboard as an input device, comprising:
 a storage unit configured to store virtual keyboard management information that describes respective associations between each of a plurality of input fields, and a respective virtual keyboard used upon data input to that input field;   a selection unit configured to select, in response to designation of one of the plurality of input fields on a window generated by an application program, a virtual keyboard associated with that one of the plurality of input fields on the window based on the virtual keyboard management information; and   a display control unit configured to display, responsive to selection by said selection unit, the virtual keyboard for inputting data to the input field selected by said selection unit.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein, when no virtual keyboard associated with the one of the plurality of input fields is available, said selection unit selects a default virtual keyboard. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the default virtual keyboard is a specific virtual keyboard prepared in advance by said virtual keyboard system. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the default virtual keyboard is a specific virtual keyboard prepared in advance by the application. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the virtual keyboard management information includes display attribute information of a virtual keyboard, and
 said display control unit displays the virtual keyboard selected by said selection unit based on the display attribute information.   
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the virtual keyboard management information can associate, with one input field, a plurality of virtual keyboards used upon data input to that input field,
 said selection unit selects a plurality of virtual keyboards associated with the input field based on the virtual keyboard management information responsive to designation of to the input field of the window generated by the application program, and   said display control unit displays the plurality of virtual keyboards selected by said selection unit.   
     
     
         7 . A virtual keyboard system using a virtual keyboard as an input device, comprising:
 a storage unit configured to store public virtual keyboard information that describes associations between a virtual keyboard generated by a first application program, and each of a plurality of input fields on a window generated by a second application program which is permitted to use the virtual keyboard, wherein the second application program accepts input in each of the plurality of fields, and wherein the plurality of input fields differ from each other; and   an acquisition unit configured to acquire, responsive to designation of one of the plurality of input fields on the window generated by the second application program for input to that one of the input fields, a respective virtual keyboard associated with that one of the input fields based on the public virtual keyboard information in response to a request from the second application program.   
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling a virtual keyboard system using a virtual keyboard as an input device and having a storage unit, the method comprising:
 a display step of displaying a window generated by an application program, the application program accepting data input via at least one of a plurality of input fields that differ from each other;   a storage step of storing, in the storage unit, the virtual keyboard management information that describes associations between each of the input fields on the window generated by the application program, and a respective virtual keyboard used upon data input into that input field; and   a selecting step of selecting, responsive to designation of one of the plurality of input fields on the window generated by the application program for data input to that one of the input fields, a virtual keyboard associated with that input field on the window based on the virtual keyboard management information,   wherein said display step includes displaying, responsive to selection in said selecting step, the virtual keyboard selected in said selecting step.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein, in said selecting step, when no virtual keyboard associated with the one of the plurality of input fields is available, a default virtual keyboard is selected. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the default virtual keyboard is a specific virtual keyboard prepared in advance by the virtual keyboard system. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the default virtual keyboard is a specific virtual keyboard prepared in advance by the application. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the virtual keyboard management information includes display attribute information of a virtual keyboard, and
 in said display step, the virtual keyboard selected in said selecting step is displayed based on the display attribute information.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the virtual keyboard management information can associate, with one input field, a plurality of virtual keyboards used upon data input to that input field,
 in said selecting step, a plurality of virtual keyboards associated with the input field is selected based on the virtual keyboard management information upon data input to the input field of the window generated by the application program, and   in said display step, the plurality of virtual keyboards selected in said selecting step are displayed.   
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a virtual keyboard system using a virtual keyboard as an input device and having a storage unit, the method comprising:
 a storage step, of storing, in the storage unit, public virtual keyboard information that describes associations between a virtual keyboard generated by a first application program, and each of a plurality of input fields on a window generated by a second application program which is permitted to use the virtual keyboard, wherein the second application program accepts input into each of the plurality of fields, and wherein the plurality of input fields differ from each other; and   an acquisition step of acquiring, responsive to designation of one of the plurality of input fields on the window generated by the second application program for data input to the one of the input fields, a virtual keyboard associated with that input field based on the public virtual keyboard information in response to a request from the second application program.