A text input method for half-sized keyboard using keying interval

Abstract

In various environments, such as mobile and wearable computing, compact I/O devices are desirable from the viewpoint of portability. Now, many users are accustomed to input with a keyboard, however, there is a limitation of miniaturization because it degrades the performance of key touch. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method to miniaturize a keyboard by excluding the half of it. In using the proposed method, one hand hits keys as usual, and the other hand hits the place outside the keyboard as if the user types with both hands. The user can input words with only one hand because the proposed system estimates the input word using keying interval, which appears also when the user inputs with both hands. From the results of user study, we confirmed that the user can input with only one hand and that it does not decrease input speed drastically.