Smart user-customized graphical keyboard

Abstract

A computing device automatically customizes attributes of a graphical keyboard based on user inputs to the graphical keyboard. For example, the computing device can display a first graphical keyboard arrangement that includes a first representation of a key associated with a target region of an input-sensitive display. The computing device receives a plurality of user inputs, each associated with a respective touch region of the input-sensitive display. Subsequent to determining that one or more of the touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region, the computing device displays a second graphical keyboard arrangement that includes a second representation of the key, wherein at least one attribute of the second representation of the key is graphically modified relative to the first representation of the key so as to substantially align one or more of the touch regions with a target region associated with the second representation of the key.

1 . A method comprising:
 outputting, at an input-sensitive display of a computing device, a first graphical keyboard arrangement including a first representation of a key that is associated with a target region of the input-sensitive display;   receiving a plurality of user inputs at the input-sensitive display, each user input from the plurality of user inputs being associated with a respective touch region of the input-sensitive display;   responsive to determining that each input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key, determining whether one or more of the associated touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key;   identifying a quantity of the touch regions that are not substantially aligned with the target region; and   subsequent to determining that the quantity exceeds a threshold quantity of touch regions that are not substantially aligned with the target region, outputting, at the input-sensitive display, a second graphical keyboard arrangement that includes a second representation of the key, wherein at least one attribute of the second representation of the key is graphically modified relative to the first representation of the key so as to substantially align one or more of the touch regions with a target region associated with the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of user inputs at the input-sensitive display comprises receiving the plurality of user inputs in response to a training program presented by the computing device that prompts a user to type a predefined series of characters using the first graphical keyboard arrangement, the method further comprising:
 determining that each user input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key at least in part based on a comparison of an order of the user inputs with an order of the predefined series of characters presented by the training program.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 executing a keyboard customization application as a background task of the computing device,   wherein receiving the plurality of user inputs at the input-sensitive display comprises receiving the plurality of user inputs during use by a user of an application executing on the computing device other than the keyboard customization application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining, by the keyboard customization application, that each user input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key at least in part based on typing corrections received from the user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 outputting, at the input-sensitive display of the computing device, an indication of an option to cease execution of the keyboard customization application as a background task.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting, at the input-sensitive display of the computing device, the first graphical keyboard arrangement and the second graphical keyboard at the same time; and   soliciting a user selection of one of the first graphical keyboard arrangement and the second graphical keyboard for future use.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting, at the input-sensitive display, both the first graphical keyboard arrangement and the second graphical keyboard at the same time; and   soliciting a user selection of one or more modifications of attributes of one or more representations of keys of the first graphical keyboard arrangement for future use.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating the second graphical keyboard arrangement with a profile of a user of the computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the at least one attribute of the second representation of the key to which to graphically modify relative to the first representation of the key, wherein the selected attribute comprises a shape of the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the at least one attribute of the second representation of the key to which to graphically modify relative to the first representation of the key, wherein the selected attribute comprises a size of the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the at least one attribute of the second representation of the key to which to graphically modify relative to the first representation of the key, wherein the selected attribute comprises a position of the second representation of the key in the graphical keyboard.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first graphical keyboard arrangement includes a plurality of representations of a plurality of respective keys,   wherein the second graphical keyboard arrangement comprises a second plurality of representations of respective keys,   wherein the second graphical keyboard arrangement has a different overall size and shape than the first graphical keyboard arrangement, and   wherein the overall size and shape of the second graphical keyboard arrangement is selected so as to substantially align one or more of the touch regions with a target region associated with the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input-sensitive display comprises a presence-sensitive display of the computing device that registers each of the plurality of user inputs at least in part based on presence of an input unit without requiring physical contact between the input unit and the presence-sensitive display. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input-sensitive display comprises a touch-sensitive display of the computing device, wherein the plurality of user inputs comprise a plurality of user touches of the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that one or more of the associated touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key comprises determining that a center of the touch region is positioned greater than a threshold distance away from a center of the target region. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that one or more of the associated touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key comprises determining that greater than a threshold quantity of surface area of the touch region is positioned outside of the target region. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a keyboard application operable by the at least one processor to generate graphical keyboard arrangements; and   an input-sensitive display that outputs a first graphical keyboard arrangement including a first representation of a key that is associated with a target region of the input-sensitive display,   wherein the input-sensitive display is configured to receive a plurality of user inputs each associated with a respective touch region of the input-sensitive display, wherein the plurality of user inputs are received during use by a user of an application executing on the system other than the keyboard application,   wherein the keyboard application, responsive to determining that each input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key, determines whether one or more of the associated touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key, and   wherein the input-sensitive display outputs a second graphical keyboard arrangement that includes a second representation of the key, wherein at least one attribute of the second representation of the key is graphically modified relative to the first representation of the key so as to substantially align one or more of the touch regions with a target region associated with the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the keyboard application identifies a quantity of the touch regions that are not substantially aligned with the target region, and wherein the keyboard application generates the second graphical keyboard arrangement subsequent to determining that the quantity exceeds a threshold quantity of touch regions that are not substantially aligned with the target region. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, if executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 outputting a first graphical keyboard arrangement for display, the first graphical keyboard arrangement including a first representation of a key that is associated with a target region of an input-sensitive display;   receiving data indicative of a plurality of user inputs, each user input from the plurality of user inputs being associated with a respective touch region of the input-sensitive display;   responsive to determining that each input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key, determining whether one or more of the associated touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key; and   subsequent to determining that one or more of the touch regions is not substantially aligned with the target region associated with the first representation of the key, outputting for display a second graphical keyboard arrangement that includes a second representation of the key, wherein at least one attribute of the second representation of the key is graphically modified relative to the first representation of the key so as to substantially align one or more of the touch regions with a target region associated with the second representation of the key.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the plurality of user inputs comprises receiving data indicative of a plurality of user inputs received in response to a training program presented by a computing device that prompts a user to type a predefined series of characters using the first graphical keyboard arrangement,
 the computer-readable storage medium further comprising instructions that, if executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising determining that each user input from the plurality of user inputs is associated with the first representation of the key at least in part based on comparison of an order of the user inputs with an order of the predefined series of characters presented by the training program.