Touch gestures for text-entry operations

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a computing device with the ability to perform text-entry operations (e.g., using a touch screen) on a computing device. Specifically, the techniques of this disclosure may, in some examples, allow the user to use gestures on a mobile computing device to perform text entry and editing operations. Using a presence-sensitive user interface device (e.g., a touch screen), the user may use gestures to enter text into text-based applications (e.g., short message service (SMS) messages, e-mail message, uniform resource locators (URLs), and the like). Using visually-defined areas on the touch screen, the user may utilize gestures of certain patterns, relative to the defined areas, to indicate text entry and editing operations such as, for example, deleting characters and words, indicating a space or return characters, and the like.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, using a presence-sensitive user interface device coupled to a computing device, first user input comprising a drawing gesture associated with a first area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, wherein the first user input specifies one or more characters to be displayed in a graphical user interface associated with the computing device;   receiving, using the presence-sensitive user interface device, second user input comprising a drawing gesture, wherein the second user input comprises crossing between the first area and at least a second area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, and wherein the second user input specifies an editing operation associated with the one or more characters; and   applying, by the computing device, the editing operation to the one or more characters in response to receiving the second user input.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specified editing operation depends on a direction of crossing between the first area and the at least second area based on the received second user input. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 defining, for the presence-sensitive user interface device, the first area and the at least second area for user input, wherein the at least second area comprises is a subset of the first area, and wherein the at least second area is defined by at least a first graphical boundary that partitions the first area.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second user input crosses the at least first graphical boundary. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the specified editing operation depends on a number of times the at least first graphical boundary is crossed based on the received second user input. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 defining, for the presence-sensitive user interface device, at least a third area for user input on the presence-sensitive user interface device, wherein the second user input comprises crossing between the first area, the at least second area, and the at least third area, and wherein the second user input specifies an editing operation associated with the one or more characters.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 defining, for the presence-sensitive user interface device, at least a third area for user input, wherein the at least third area comprises a subset of the first area, and wherein the at least third area is defined by at least a second graphical boundary that partitions the first area,   wherein the second user input comprises crossing at least one of the first graphical boundary and the second graphical boundary, and wherein the second user input specifies an editing operation associated with the one or more characters.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the specified editing operation depends on a direction of crossing of at least one of the first graphical boundary and the second graphical boundary based on the received second user input. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the specified editing operation depends on a number of times the at least one of the first graphical boundary and the second graphical boundary is crossed based on the received second user input. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the specified editing operation depends on which of at the at least first graphical boundary and the second graphical boundary is crossed based on the received second user input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether a user input specifies one or more characters or specifies an editing operation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a user input specifies an editing operation when the drawing gesture comprises a single stroke that crosses between the first area and the at least second area, and a straightness associated with the drawing gesture is above a straightness threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the editing operation comprises at least one of adding a space, adding a return, or performing a deletion of at least one of the one or more characters. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presence-sensitive user interface device comprises a touch screen that displays the graphical user interface, wherein the touch screen displays the first area and the at least second area, and wherein the touch screen comprises an upper region and a lower region, the method further comprising:
 displaying the first area and the at least second area in the lower region; and   displaying the one or more characters in the upper region.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying in the first area a representation of the one or more characters corresponding to the first user input. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying in the first area a representation of the editing operation corresponding to the second user input. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user input and the second user input are received from the presence-sensitive user interface device without receiving any input from an on-screen keypad. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least first graphical boundary comprises at least one horizontal or vertical graphical line partitioning the first area near at least one outer edge associated with the first area. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, using a presence-sensitive user interface device coupled to the computing device, first user input comprising a drawing gesture associated with a first area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, wherein the first user input specifies one or more characters to be displayed in a graphical user interface associated with the computing device;   receiving, using the presence-sensitive user interface device, second user input comprising a drawing gesture, wherein the second user input comprises crossing between the first area and at least a second area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, and wherein the second user input specifies an editing operation associated with the one or more characters; and   applying, by the computing device, the editing operation to the one or more characters in response to receiving the second user input.   
     
     
         20 . A computing device, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a presence-sensitive user interface device;   a user interface module operable by the one or more processors to receive, using the presence-sensitive user interface device, first user input comprising a drawing gesture associated with a first area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, wherein the first user input specifies one or more characters to be displayed in a graphical user interface associated with the computing device, wherein the user interface module is further operable to receive, by the presence-sensitive user interface device, second user input comprising a drawing gesture, wherein the second user input comprises crossing between the first area and at least a second area for user input defined on the presence-sensitive user interface device, and wherein the second user input specifies an editing operation associated with the one or more characters; and   means for applying, by the computing device, the editing operation to the one or more characters in response to receiving the second user input.