Keyboard for inputting Chinese language

As the structure of Chinese characters are very different, it is very difficult to input Chinese characters into computer quickly and conveniently. The conventional keyboard does not support the pictorial characters in Chinese language. There are 3000 to 6000 commonly used pictorial Chinese characters (Hanzi). There are a few existing systems which include "PinYin" (phonetic) system, a combination of the PinYin system and character form techniques, whole character encoding, stroke input encoding, and stoke form encoding. Each of the methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. This article describes two inventions on inputting Chinese language through a standard keyboard.Comment: Published in TRIZsite Journal, Apr 2005, also available in http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=93227

10 Inventions on Keyboard Key Switch Mechanism

The key switches of the keyboard of a computer system are generally comprised of a key cap having a plunger, conductive rubber disposed above a membrane circuit and compressed by the plunger to trigger the membrane circuit causing it to produce an electric signal to the computer. Some key switches use springs. Some other keyboards use rubber domes or a dome sheet, which do the function of springs. When the user depresses the key button the spring or domes collapse. The key switch depresses the key stem, which actuates the button on the membrane circuit. When the user releases the button the springs or rubber domes push the button up to the rest position. This article illustrates 10 inventions on different key switch mechanism. The inventions are selected from US patent database. The inventions try to simplify the mechanism, reduce manufacturing cost, increase accuracy and reliability, and increase strength and robustness of the keys.Comment: Published in TRIZsite Journal, May 2005, also available in http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=93227

Protecting Anti-virus Programs From Viral Attacks

During a fight between viruses and anti-viruses it is not always predictable that the anti-virus is going to win. There are many malicious viruses which target to attack and paralyze the anti-viruses. It is necessary for an anti-virus to detect and destroy the malware before its own files are detected and destroyed by the malware. The anti-virus may follow thorough testing and auditing procedures to fix all its bugs before releasing the software in the market. Besides the anti-virus may use all the obfuscation techniques like polymorphism that the viruses generally use to hide their codes. This article also shows how to use TRIZ Inventive Standards to solve the harmful effects of the viruses on the anti-virus.Comment: TRIZsite Journal, Jul 201

Inventions on Soft Keyboards -- A TRIZ Based Analysis

The soft keyboards are onscreen representation of physical keyboard having alphanumeric characters and other controls. The user operates the soft keyboard with the mouse, a stylus or other pointing device. The soft keys dont have any mechanical component. The soft keyboards are used in many public places for informational purpose, educational systems and financial transactional systems. A soft keyboard is convenient in some cases where a hard keyboard is difficult to manage. The soft keyboard is a substitute of a physical keyboard and is displayed on the screen. It displays the same type of alphanumeric and control keys like the keys on the actual keyboard. There are many inventions on a soft keyboard which makes the soft keyboard more efficient and effective. This article illustrates some inventions on soft keyboards from US patent database.Comment: 7 pages. TRIZsite Journal, February 200

Inventions on using sound and speech in GUI

Voice Recognition (VR) facilitates a human interaction with the machine. VR may be used to replace the manual task of pushing buttons on a wireless telephone keypad. This is particularly useful when the hands of the user are busy with other activities like driving a car. However, the VRS system has several limitations. The VRS requires lot of training and customization in order to be effectively used by individual users as each individual falls into different voice patterns. Besides the voice interface is complex and is not as reliable as the keyboard or mouse. This article illustrates some interesting inventions on using sound and voice in Graphical User Interfaces.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Mishra, Umakant, Inventions on Using Sound and Speech in GUI (September 7, 2007). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1264688 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.126468

How to Implement Access Rights in an MIS Project

The MIS data is critical to an organization and should be protected from misuse by wrong persons. Although The MIS data is typically meant for the senior managers each MIS report may not be required by every manager. The access to MIS data is determined by the role of an individual in the organization and controlled by the MIS administrator accordingly. The access is generally determined by the following parameters, (a) the type of user (such as staff or manager etc.), (b) the type of data (whether general data or managerial data), (c) level of access (read/ write/ admin access) and (d) special access allocated by MIS admin. By combining all the above four parameters, each individual user can be allocated exact specific rights required to access the MIS.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=231557

Inventions on GUI for Touch Sensitive Screens

A touch sensitive screen displays the information on the screen and also receives the input by sensing a user's touch on the same screen. This mechanism facilitates system interaction directly through the screen without needing a mouse or keyboard. This method has the advantage to make the system compact by removing keyboard, mouse and similar interactive device. However there are certain difficulties to implement a touch screen interface. The display screens of portable devices are becoming smaller thereby leaving lesser space for display of data, menu or touch screen interaction. Besides some screens need to display so much of information that they hardly can afford any space to display touch screen buttons. This article illustrates various inventions which have successfully eliminated these difficulties by applying appropriate Inventive principles.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

10 Inventions on Command Buttons in a Graphical User Interface

A command button may contain a textual label or a graphic image or both. It may be static or animated. There can be many different features to make a command button attractive and effective. As command button is a typical GUI element, most improvement on GUI in general will also be applicable to command buttons. Besides, there are also inventions to improve various aspects of command buttons in specific. This article illustrates 10 selected inventions from US patent database. Each invention is followed by a TRIZ based analysis in brief.Comment: 12 page

Inventions on Using Colors in Graphical User Interfaces

Color is an important aspect of any graphical user interface (GUI). Color is used to make a GUI attractive and meaningful. But there are difficulties in using colors too. Improper use of color can result in adverse effects. Wrong colors at wrong place can make the GUI look clumsy and confusing. Apart from the aesthetics issues there are many other issues involved with colors too. One of the contradictions relating to usage of color is "The color of the GUI should be customizable to suit user preference. But at the same time it should not be customizable, as that would cause annoyance and confusion to other users." Another contraction relating to using color is "The user should be displayed all 16 million colors to select the desired color precisely, But from another angle the user should not be displayed all 16 million colors as that would create confusion and difficulty in selection." This article analyses some inventions selected from US Patent database and illustrates how the inventors have been able to solve various contradictions relating to usage of colors in Graphical User Interface.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Umakant Mishra, Inventions on Color Selections in Graphical User Interfaces (September 7, 2007), Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1264689 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.126468

Inventions on presenting textual items in Graphical User Interface

Although a GUI largely replaces textual descriptions by graphical icons, the textual items are not completely removed. The textual items are inevitably used in window titles, message boxes, help items, menu items and popup items. Textual items are necessary for communicating messages that are beyond the limitation of graphical messages. However, it is necessary to harness the textual items on the graphical interface in such a way that they complement each other to produce the best effect. One has to keep various considerations in mind while applying textual items in Graphical User Interface. This article illustrates a few inventions on presenting textual items in a Graphical user Interface.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure