Abstract:
A first touch gesture is sensed at a subset of a set of six Braille dot touch points at a virtual Braille keyboard. The first touch gesture corresponds to a Braille character. A second touch gesture is sensed that concurrently touches each of the six Braille dot touch points in the set of Braille dot touch points. A contact with a layout of the virtual Braille keyboard with at least one Braille dot touch point is continuously maintained while transitioning from the first touch gesture to the second touch gesture. In response to the second touch gesture, the Braille character is accepted.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a method, system, and computer program product for making touch-sensitive devices accessible to visually impaired users. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method, system, and computer program product for Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Braille is a tactile method used by the blind and visually impaired users for writing and reading text. A standard set of dot patterns using six dot positions defines the Braille alphabet. A keyboard implementing the six dot positions to represent Braille characters is called a Perkins Brailler Keyboard. 
         [0003]    Many touchscreen devices are proliferating the daily lives of users with and without disabilities alike. A touchscreen device is a device that accepts a user interaction, such as an input from the user, via a touch gesture. A touch gesture comprises a touching of the touch-sensitive component, usually a touch-sensitive screen, by a user. Typically, the user touches the touchscreen using one or more fingers, a stylus, or another object. 
         [0004]    A variety of touch gestures are presently recognized and used with touchscreens. A single-touch gesture is formed when the user touches a single point or area on the touchscreen. A multi-touch gesture is formed when the user simultaneously touches more than one point or area on the touchscreen. 
         [0005]    Some touch-based devices and applications recognize a touch gesture when the user makes contact with the touchscreen. Other touch-based devices and applications recognize a touch gesture when the user has removed the contacting finger or object after making contact with the touchscreen. 
         [0006]    A virtual Braille keyboard is a visible or invisible presentation of a set of areas on a touchscreen. Each area in the set of areas is defined as a Braille key. Six of the areas in the set of areas represent the standard six dot positions used in the Braille standard. One or more other areas in the set of areas represent other functions, such as back-space, line-space, or the blank-space characters. Different manufacturers of virtual Braille keyboards use different layouts of the set of areas, and may add or remove additional areas besides the six areas corresponding to the standard six Braille dot positions. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The illustrative embodiments provide a method, system, and computer program product. An embodiment includes a method that senses a first touch gesture at a subset of a set of six Braille dot touch points at a virtual Braille keyboard. The first touch gesture corresponds to a Braille character. The embodiment senses a second touch gesture that concurrently touches each of the six Braille dot touch points in the set of Braille dot touch points, wherein a contact relative to a layout of the virtual Braille keyboard with at least one Braille dot touch point is continuously maintained while transitioning from the first touch gesture to the second touch gesture. The embodiment accepts, responsive to the second touch gesture, the Braille character. 
         [0008]    An embodiment includes a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices. 
         [0009]    An embodiment includes a computer system. The computer system includes one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of a network of data processing systems in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of a data processing system in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  depicts a block diagram of an example configuration of a virtual Braille keyboard in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  depicts a timeline series of events that can be improved for capturing Braille inputs in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  depicts a timeline series of improved events for capturing Braille inputs in accordance with an illustrative embodiment; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  depicts a flowchart of an example process for Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    A touchscreen is described and used only as an example touch-sensitive component and not to imply any limitation thereto. Other touch-sensitive components, such as a surface of a device other than the screen where the device can sense a touch gesture are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0018]    A virtual Braille keyboard can take different forms on a touchscreen. Such different forms, such as different arrangements or numbers of touch areas configured for receiving Braille input, are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0019]    A visually impaired user has to position several fingers in the designated touch areas of a virtual Braille keyboard to form a Braille character. For example, a visually impaired user needs a certain amount of time to form and position a multi-touch correctly on a virtual Braille keyboard to input an intended Braille character. It is not uncommon to form an incorrect multi-touch gesture, such as touching an area that represents an incorrect Braille dot position for a letter. It is also not uncommon to incorrectly position the multi-touch gesture, such as by touching outside a defined area for an intended dot position. Some virtual Braille keyboards provide audible feedback to the user about where their touches are positioned in a multi-touch gesture, what letter is formed by the multi-touch, and the like. 
         [0020]    The illustrative embodiments recognize that the presently-available virtual keyboards are limiting or undesirable for several reasons. The above-described difficulties and other similar difficulties in providing Braille inputs make recognizing Braille input a tricky process. Presently, virtual Braille keyboards allow the user to make, change, or move the multi-touch gesture until the user is satisfied with the gesture, then require the user to remove all the touch points, to wit, remove all the touches in the multi-touch gesture, to register the input character. The removal of all touch points has to be accomplished by the user by removing all contacting fingers or objects from the Braille dot touch areas on the touchscreen. 
         [0021]    When the user is ready to input the next character, the user again makes, changes, or moves the next multi-touch gesture until the user is satisfied with the gesture, then removes all the touch points of the multi-touch gesture to register the next input character. Each Braille character has to be input by repeating this entire cycle. 
         [0022]    The illustrative embodiments recognize that this existing process for Braille input using virtual Braille keyboards is slow, tedious, and computationally expensive. For example, the repeated removal of all touch points limits the speed at which even a proficient Braille user can input Braille characters. 
         [0023]    As another example, each time the user removes all touch points, the user loses the relative positioning of the users fingers and the touch areas of the virtual Braille keyboard. In other words, when a visually impaired person loses all contact with the touchscreen after one multi-touch gesture, and regains contact in the next multi-touch gesture, the lack of visual clues causes the user&#39;s placement of the touch gesture to land at different locations on the touchscreen. Consequently, when the user gestures to input the next character, the virtual Braille keyboard application has to recalibrate the virtual Braille keyboard&#39;s position such that the touch areas of the virtual Braille keyboard realign with the location of the multi-touch gesture on the touchscreen, which is different from a previous location, even if the same character is input again using the same multi-touch gesture. The recalibration consumes computing resources, which are limited in many touchscreen devices, and must be consumed judiciously. 
         [0024]    Because the touches of a multi-touch gesture often land at different locations on the touchscreen, interpreting the initial touch as a Braille character leads to an unacceptable degree of incorrect inputs or erroneous recognition of the characters. Therefore, most virtual Braille keyboards avoid using the act of touching as the input, and use the removal of the touch instead as the input. 
         [0025]    The illustrative embodiments used to describe the invention generally address and solve the above-described problems and other problems related to virtual Braille keyboards. 
         [0026]    An embodiment allows a user to maintain contact with the touchscreen between different multi-touch gestures for different Braille characters. For example, the embodiment recognizes one multi-touch gesture as one Braille character input, but does not require that the user release all touch points or remove all touches from the touchscreen to register the input. 
         [0027]    The embodiment recognizes a “home” touch on a virtual Braille keyboard according to the embodiment. When the user is satisfied with the formation and position of a multi-touch gesture, the user performs a home touch by touching all Braille dot touch areas of the virtual braille keyboard. The home touch causes the embodiment to register the Braille character input that corresponds to the multi-touch. 
         [0028]    For example, the letter A is formed by touching only the first of the six Braille dots. To input letter A according to an embodiment, the user begins by touching the first dot with the left index finger while keeping the other five Braille dots untouched. When the user is satisfied with forming the letter A, the user touches all six Braille dot touch areas—e.g., using the index, middle, and ring fingers of the left and right hands—to form the home touch. Upon detecting the single dot touch followed by the home touch, the embodiment registers the letter A. Because the user transitions from a multi-touch gesture of a Braille character to the home touch, the user maintains continuity of contact with the touchscreen. 
         [0029]    Due to the continuity of the contact with the touchscreen, the user does not lose the reference to relative positioning of the virtual Braille keyboard relative to the user&#39;s fingers or objects. Avoiding the loss of relative positioning of the virtual Braille keyboard through the continuity of contact with the touchscreen improves the accuracy of the subsequent multi-touch gesture as compared to the accuracy when the user has to release all touch points as in the presently used methods. Because the subsequent multi-touch gestures have an improved accuracy and the unchanged positioning of the virtual Braille keyboard relative to the user&#39;s fingers or objects, the virtual Braille keyboard need not be recalibrated at each character, or at least as frequently, for realignment with the user&#39;s fingers or objects as in the presently used methods. 
         [0030]    The user can continue to input character after character in Braille by using a home touch to register each character input. Once the user has finished providing the Braille input, the user removes all touches from all Braille dot touch areas and ends the continuity of touch. An embodiment registers an end of the input process when the embodiment detects that the no touch is present at any of the Braille dot touch areas. 
         [0031]    These examples of maintaining a continuity of contact with the touchscreen are not intended to be limiting. From this disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to conceive many other ways of registering the input by performing the home touch with continuity of touchscreen contact, and the same are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0032]    A method of an embodiment described herein, when implemented to execute on a device or data processing system, comprises substantial advancement of the functionality of that device or data processing system for Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard. For example, prior-art virtual Braille keyboards require a removal of all touch in order to register a Braille character. An embodiment allows the user to maintain contact with the virtual Braille keyboard of the embodiment, and registers the Braille character using a home touch at all Braille dot touch areas of the virtual Braille keyboard. An embodiment does not require the release of all touch points to register each character but only to end the Braille input process. Such manner of Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard is unavailable in presently available devices or data processing systems. Thus, a substantial advancement of such devices or data processing systems by executing a method of an embodiment is in increasing the accuracy of Braille inputs, increasing a speed of inputting Braille characters using a virtual Braille keyboard, and reduces the computing cost of using a virtual Braille keyboard for entering Braille characters. 
         [0033]    The illustrative embodiments are described with respect to certain gestures, fingers or objects, touch-sensitive components, virtual Braille keyboard layouts, touch areas on virtual Braille keyboards, Braille standard, manners of maintaining continuity of contact, devices, data processing systems, environments, components, and applications only as examples. Any specific manifestations of these and other similar artifacts are not intended to be limiting to the invention. Any suitable manifestation of these and other similar artifacts can be selected within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0034]    Furthermore, the illustrative embodiments may be implemented with respect to any type of data, data source, or access to a data source over a data network. Any type of data storage device may provide the data to an embodiment of the invention, either locally at a data processing system or over a data network, within the scope of the invention. Where an embodiment is described using a mobile device, any type of data storage device suitable for use with the mobile device may provide the data to such embodiment, either locally at the mobile device or over a data network, within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0035]    The illustrative embodiments are described using specific code, designs, architectures, protocols, layouts, schematics, and tools only as examples and are not limiting to the illustrative embodiments. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiments are described in some instances using particular software, tools, and data processing environments only as an example for the clarity of the description. The illustrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with other comparable or similarly purposed structures, systems, applications, or architectures. For example, other comparable mobile devices, structures, systems, applications, or architectures therefor, may be used in conjunction with such embodiment of the invention within the scope of the invention. An illustrative embodiment may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. 
         [0036]    The examples in this disclosure are used only for the clarity of the description and are not limiting to the illustrative embodiments. Additional data, operations, actions, tasks, activities, and manipulations will be conceivable from this disclosure and the same are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0037]    Any advantages listed herein are only examples and are not intended to be limiting to the illustrative embodiments. Additional or different advantages may be realized by specific illustrative embodiments. Furthermore, a particular illustrative embodiment may have some, all, or none of the advantages listed above. 
         [0038]    With reference to the figures and in particular with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , these figures are example diagrams of data processing environments in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented.  FIGS. 1 and 2  are only examples and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. A particular implementation may make many modifications to the depicted environments based on the following description. 
         [0039]      FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of a network of data processing systems in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented. Data processing environment  100  is a network of computers in which the illustrative embodiments may be implemented. Data processing environment  100  includes network  102 . Network  102  is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within data processing environment  100 . Network  102  may include connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables. 
         [0040]    Clients or servers are only example roles of certain data processing systems connected to network  102  and are not intended to exclude other configurations or roles for these data processing systems. Server  104  and server  106  couple to network  102  along with storage unit  108 . Software applications may execute on any computer in data processing environment  100 . Clients  110 ,  112 , and  114  are also coupled to network  102 . A data processing system, such as server  104  or  106 , or client  110 ,  112 , or  114  may contain data and may have software applications or software tools executing thereon. 
         [0041]    Only as an example, and without implying any limitation to such architecture,  FIG. 1  depicts certain components that are usable in an example implementation of an embodiment. For example, servers  104  and  106 , and clients  110 ,  112 ,  114 , are depicted as servers and clients only as example and not to imply a limitation to a client-server architecture. As another example, an embodiment can be distributed across several data processing systems and a data network as shown, whereas another embodiment can be implemented on a single data processing system within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. Data processing systems  104 ,  106 ,  110 ,  112 , and  114  also represent example nodes in a cluster, partitions, and other configurations suitable for implementing an embodiment. 
         [0042]    Device  132  is an example of a device described herein. For example, device  132  can take the form of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, client  110  in a stationary or a portable form, a wearable computing device, or any other suitable device. Any software application described as executing in another data processing system in  FIG. 1  can be configured to execute in device  132  in a similar manner. Any data or information stored or produced in another data processing system in  FIG. 1  can be configured to be stored or produced in device  132  in a similar manner. 
         [0043]    Application  134  implements an embodiment described herein in device  132 . As a non-limiting example, device  132  uses touchscreen  133  to receive touch gestures based inputs, such as from virtual Braille keyboard  136  presented on touchscreen  133 . Similarly, application  113  implements an embodiment described herein in client  112 . As a non-limiting example, client  112  uses touch-sensitive component  111  to receive touch gestures based inputs, such as from virtual Braille keyboard  115  presented on touch-sensitive component  111 . The touch gestures provided at virtual Braille keyboard  136  may manipulate device  132 , another application executing in device  132 , content  107  served from server  106 , or some combination thereof. The touch gestures provided at virtual Braille keyboard  113  operate in a similar manner at client  112 . 
         [0044]    Servers  104  and  106 , storage unit  108 , and clients  110 ,  112 , and  114  may couple to network  102  using wired connections, wireless communication protocols, or other suitable data connectivity. Clients  110 ,  112 , and  114  may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. 
         [0045]    In the depicted example, server  104  may provide data, such as boot files, operating system images, and applications to clients  110 ,  112 , and  114 . Clients  110 ,  112 , and  114  may be clients to server  104  in this example. Clients  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or some combination thereof, may include their own data, boot files, operating system images, and applications. Data processing environment  100  may include additional servers, clients, and other devices that are not shown. 
         [0046]    In the depicted example, data processing environment  100  may be the Internet. Network  102  may represent a collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and other protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of data communication links between major nodes or host computers, including thousands of commercial, governmental, educational, and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, data processing environment  100  also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).  FIG. 1  is intended as an example, and not as an architectural limitation for the different illustrative embodiments. 
         [0047]    Among other uses, data processing environment  100  may be used for implementing a client-server environment in which the illustrative embodiments may be implemented. A client-server environment enables software applications and data to be distributed across a network such that an application functions by using the interactivity between a client data processing system and a server data processing system. Data processing environment  100  may also employ a service oriented architecture where interoperable software components distributed across a network may be packaged together as coherent business applications. 
         [0048]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , this figure depicts a block diagram of a data processing system in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented. Data processing system  200  is an example of a computer, such as servers  104  and  106 , or clients  110 ,  112 , and  114  in  FIG. 1 , or another type of device in which computer usable program code or instructions implementing the processes may be located for the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0049]    Data processing system  200  is also representative of a data processing system or a configuration therein, such as data processing system  132  in  FIG. 1  in which computer usable program code or instructions implementing the processes of the illustrative embodiments may be located. Data processing system  200  is described as a computer only as an example, without being limited thereto. Implementations in the form of other devices, such as device  132  in  FIG. 1 , may modify data processing system  200 , such as by adding a touch interface, and even eliminate certain depicted components from data processing system  200  without departing from the general description of the operations and functions of data processing system  200  described herein. 
         [0050]    In the depicted example, data processing system  200  employs a hub architecture including North Bridge and memory controller hub (NB/MCH)  202  and South Bridge and input/output (I/O) controller hub (SB/ICH)  204 . Processing unit  206 , main memory  208 , and graphics processor  210  are coupled to North Bridge and memory controller hub (NB/MCH)  202 . Processing unit  206  may contain one or more processors and may be implemented using one or more heterogeneous processor systems. Processing unit  206  may be a multi-core processor. Graphics processor  210  may be coupled to NB/MCH  202  through an accelerated graphics port (AGP) in certain implementations. 
         [0051]    In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter  212  is coupled to South Bridge and I/O controller hub (SB/ICH)  204 . Audio adapter  216 , keyboard and mouse adapter  220 , modem  222 , read only memory (ROM)  224 , universal serial bus (USB) and other ports  232 , and PCI/PCIe devices  234  are coupled to South Bridge and I/O controller hub  204  through bus  238 . Hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD)  226  and CD-ROM  230  are coupled to South Bridge and I/O controller hub  204  through bus  240 . PCI/PCIe devices  234  may include, for example, Ethernet adapters, add-in cards, and PC cards for notebook computers. PCI uses a card bus controller, while PCIe does not. ROM  224  may be, for example, a flash binary input/output system (BIOS). Hard disk drive  226  and CD-ROM  230  may use, for example, an integrated drive electronics (IDE), serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface, or variants such as external-SATA (eSATA) and micro-SATA (mSATA). A super I/O (SIO) device  236  may be coupled to South Bridge and I/O controller hub (SB/ICH)  204  through bus  238 . 
         [0052]    Memories, such as main memory  208 , ROM  224 , or flash memory (not shown), are some examples of computer usable storage devices. Hard disk drive or solid state drive  226 , CD-ROM  230 , and other similarly usable devices are some examples of computer usable storage devices including a computer usable storage medium. 
         [0053]    An operating system runs on processing unit  206 . The operating system coordinates and provides control of various components within data processing system  200  in  FIG. 2 . The operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as AIX® (AIX is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and other countries), Microsoft® Windows® (Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries), Linux® (Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and other countries), iOS™ (iOS is a trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. licensed to Apple Inc. in the United States and in other countries), or Android™ (Android is a trademark of Google Inc., in the United States and in other countries). An object oriented programming system, such as the Java™ programming system, may run in conjunction with the operating system and provide calls to the operating system from Java™ programs or applications executing on data processing system  200  (Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates). 
         [0054]    Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented programming system, and applications or programs, such as applications  105  and  113  in  FIG. 1 , are located on storage devices, such as hard disk drive  226 , and may be loaded into at least one of one or more memories, such as main memory  208 , for execution by processing unit  206 . The processes of the illustrative embodiments may be performed by processing unit  206  using computer implemented instructions, which may be located in a memory, such as, for example, main memory  208 , read only memory  224 , or in one or more peripheral devices. 
         [0055]    The hardware in  FIGS. 1-2  may vary depending on the implementation. Other internal hardware or peripheral devices, such as flash memory, equivalent non-volatile memory, or optical disk drives and the like, may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in  FIGS. 1-2 . In addition, the processes of the illustrative embodiments may be applied to a multiprocessor data processing system. 
         [0056]    In some illustrative examples, data processing system  200  may be a personal digital assistant (PDA), which is generally configured with flash memory to provide non-volatile memory for storing operating system files and/or user-generated data. A bus system may comprise one or more buses, such as a system bus, an I/O bus, and a PCI bus. Of course, the bus system may be implemented using any type of communications fabric or architecture that provides for a transfer of data between different components or devices attached to the fabric or architecture. 
         [0057]    A communications unit may include one or more devices used to transmit and receive data, such as a modem or a network adapter. A memory may be, for example, main memory  208  or a cache, such as the cache found in North Bridge and memory controller hub  202 . A processing unit may include one or more processors or CPUs. 
         [0058]    The depicted examples in  FIGS. 1-2  and above-described examples are not meant to imply architectural limitations. For example, data processing system  200  also may be a tablet computer, laptop computer, or telephone device in addition to taking the form of a mobile or wearable device. 
         [0059]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , this figure depicts a block diagram of an example configuration of a virtual Braille keyboard in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Virtual Braille keyboard  302  is an example of virtual Braille keyboard  136  or  115  in  FIG. 1 , and is operated using application  134  or  113 , respectively, in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0060]    Only as a non-limiting example, a set of areas is defined according to an example Braille standard in virtual Braille keyboard  302 . For example, areas labeled “3”, “2”, “1”, and “4”, “5”, “6” correspond to the six standard dot positions used in Braille to represent characters of an alphabet, as shown in Braille legend  304 . The numbered dots in Braille legend  304  correspond to the numbered areas of virtual Braille keyboard  302 . For example, touching area 1 on virtual Braille keyboard  302  translates to dot position 1 according to legend  304  being used in the Braille character being input. 
         [0061]    The depicted numbers, shapes, sizes, orientation, or placements of the touch areas on virtual Braille keyboard  302  are only non-limiting examples. In one implementation, areas labeled “back space”, “space”, and “line space” are also presented in virtual Braille keyboard  302  to provide functions corresponding to their descriptive labels. A particular implementation of virtual Braille keyboard  302  may include other possible configurations of touch areas without departing the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0062]    To form Braille character inputs, the user touches a combination of areas 1-6. The touched areas represent dots or pips in a six-position Braille matrix, a particular combination of touched areas representing a particular character in Braille. Typically, but without implying any limitation thereto, a visually impaired user touches area 1 with the left index finger, area 2 with the left middle finger, area 3 with the left ring finger, area 4 with the right index finger, area 5 with the right middle finger, and area 6 with the right ring finger. As needed, the left little finger is used to touch the line space area, the right little finger is used to touch the back space area, and either thumb is used to touch the space area, in the depicted example configuration of virtual Braille keyboard  302 . 
         [0063]    Using virtual Braille keyboard  302 , a user inputs character “A” by touching only area 1 as shown. The user inputs character “B” by touching areas 1 and 2, and character “C” by touching areas 1 and 4 as shown. The home touch is performed by touching areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 
         [0064]    Suppose the user wishes to input the string “ABC” using virtual Braille keyboard  302 . According to an embodiment, the user touches area 1, followed by a home touch, followed by a touch at areas 1 and 2, followed by a home touch, followed by a touch at areas 1 and 4, followed by a home touch. If the user has finished providing the input, the user removes all touches from areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and the embodiment recognizes an end of input. 
         [0065]    In one embodiment, a home touch can be optional after the last character of the input, and the removal of all touches from areas 1-6 constitutes a recognition of the last entered character as well as an end of input thereafter. In other words, the last character can be registered by performing a home touch or a release of all touches. In another embodiment, the home touch can also optionally include a touch at the “space” area. In other words, the home touch can be performed by touching areas 1-6, or areas 1-6 and one or more other areas that might be available in a given implementation of virtual Braille keyboard  302 . 
         [0066]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , this figure depicts a timeline series of events that can be improved for capturing Braille inputs in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Areas labeled “1”, “2”, “3”, “5”, and “6” are the same as the areas with the same labels in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0067]    Finger placement  402  shows a user touching area 3 of a virtual Braille keyboard with the left ring finger, area 2 with the left middle finger, and area 5 with the right middle finger, to form letter “r” in Braille. During the multi-touch gesture represented by finger placement  402 , a prior-art virtual Braille keyboard senses the multi-touch gesture at time  412  and recognizes the intended character “r” at time  414 . 
         [0068]    Existing Braille input methods require a complete release of all touch points. Accordingly, finger placement  404  shows that all touch points have been released, and none of the fingers are contacting the virtual Braille keyboard. During the no contact represented by finger placement  404 , a prior-art virtual Braille keyboard senses that all touches have been removed at time  416  and registers the recognized character “r” at time  418 . 
         [0069]    Finger placement  406  shows a user touching area 3 of the virtual Braille keyboard with the left ring finger, area 1 with the left index finger, and area 6 with the right ring finger, to form letter “u” in Braille. During the multi-touch gesture represented by finger placement  406 , a prior-art virtual Braille keyboard senses the multi-touch gesture at time  420 . Because of the removal of all touch points in finger placement  404 , and repositioning of the touches in finger placement  406 , touch area 3 and other touch areas in finger placement  406  are different from touch area 3 and other touch areas in finger placement  402 . Accordingly, the prior-art method requires a recalibration of the virtual Braille keyboard at time  422 , and recognizes the intended character “u” at time  424 . 
         [0070]    Again, finger placement  408  shows that all touch points have been released, and none of the fingers are contacting the virtual Braille keyboard. During the no contact represented by finger placement  408 , a presently used virtual Braille keyboard senses that all touches have been removed at time  426  and registers the recognized character “u” at time  428 . 
         [0071]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , this figure depicts a timeline series of improved events for capturing Braille inputs in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Areas labeled “1”, “2”, “3”, “5”, and “6” are the same as the areas with the same labels in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0072]    Finger placement  502 ,  504 ,  506 ,  508 , and - 510  show a user touching certain areas of an improved virtual Braille keyboard of an embodiment, such as virtual Braille keyboard  136  in  FIG. 1 . Finger placement  502  shows the user touching area 3 of the improved virtual Braille keyboard with the left ring finger, area 2 with the left middle finger, and area 5 with the right middle finger, to form letter “r” in Braille. During the multi-touch gesture represented by finger placement  502 , the improved virtual Braille keyboard senses the multi-touch gesture at time  512  and recognizes the intended character “r” at time  514 . 
         [0073]    Maintaining a continuity of touch from finger placement  502  to finger placement  504 , finger placement  504  shows continued touch or contact at areas 3, 2, and 5, and a touch made at areas 1, 4, and 6 as well—creating a home touch. During the continuity of contact represented by finger placement  504 , the improved virtual Braille keyboard senses the home touch at time  516 , and registers the recognized character “r” at time  518 . 
         [0074]    Maintaining a continuity of touch from finger placement  504  to finger placement  506 , touches are maintained at some Braille dot touch areas and removed from other Braille dot touch areas. For example, finger placement  506  shows the user maintaining touch at areas 3, 1, and 6 to form letter “u” in Braille. During the multi-touch gesture represented by finger placement  506 , the improved virtual Braille keyboard senses the multi-touch gesture at time  520 . Because the removal of all touch points is not required, and continuity of contact is maintained, touch area 3 and other touch areas in finger placement  506  are substantially in the same positions the same as touch area 3 and other respective touch areas in finger placement  502 . Accordingly, a recalibration of the improved virtual Braille keyboard is avoided, and the improved virtual Braille keyboard recognizes the intended character “u” at time  524 . 
         [0075]    Maintaining a continuity of touch from finger placement  506  to finger placement  508 , finger placement  508  shows continued touch or contact at areas 3, 1, and 6, and a touch made at areas 2, 4, and 5 as well—creating a home touch. During the continuity of contact represented by finger placement  508 , the improved virtual Braille keyboard senses the home touch at time  526 , and registers the recognized character “u” at time  528 . 
         [0076]    If “u” is the last input the user wishes to make, finger placement  510  shows all touches removed from areas 1-6. The improved virtual Braille keyboard senses that all touch points have been removed at time  530 , and recognizes an end of Braille input at time  532 . 
         [0077]    As described in this disclosure, a home touch gesture can be made in more than one ways. Optionally, if a home touch is not required to register the last character of an input, finger placement  508  can be omitted and the character “u” can be registered at time  530  or time  532 . 
         [0078]    Thus, the user can continue imputing various Braille characters while maintaining continuity of contact with the improved virtual Braille keyboard. When a user removes all touch points, such as in finger gesture  510  in  FIG. 5 , the improved virtual Braille keyboard according to one embodiment recognizes the no contact as an end of input. In other words, the improved virtual Braille keyboard of an embodiment recognizes the releasing of all touch points at Braille dot touch areas as an indication that the user is finished with inputting the data, the process of providing Braille input has come to a completion, and no more Braille input is going to be received for the present activity on the touchscreen. 
         [0079]    Different implementations of the improved virtual Braille keyboard may provide additional touch areas other than the six Braille dot touch areas. An embodiment can be adapted to require removal of touches from such other areas to recognize an end of Braille input. Another embodiment can be adapted to ignore any remaining touches in such other areas as long as all touches have been removed from the six Braille dot touch areas to recognize the end of Braille input. Allowing some touches to remain in such other areas may allow continuity of touch even after an end of Braille input, such as when ending input in one data field and moving to begin input at another data field. Such variations are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. 
         [0080]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , this figure depicts a flowchart of an example process for Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Process  600  can be implemented in application  134  or  113  in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0081]    The application presents a virtual Braille keyboard, such as virtual Braille keyboard  136  or  115  in  FIG. 1  (block  602 ). The application senses a multi-touch gesture on the virtual Braille keyboard (block  604 ). 
         [0082]    The application recognizes the Braille character represented by the multi-touch gesture at the virtual Braille keyboard (block  606 ). The application optionally provides audible or tactile feedback to the user about the recognition of the input (block  608 ). Such optional feedback may give the user an opportunity to correct an error in the gesture, or confirm that the application has correctly recognized the intended Braille character. 
         [0083]    The application determines whether a home touch gesture has been applied (block  610 ). The determination of block  610  is regardless of a manner in which the home touch is applied. Preferably, to apply the home touch, the user touches the six Braille dot touch areas of the virtual Braille keyboard on the touchscreen. 
         [0084]    If a home touch gesture has not been applied (“No” path of block  610 ), the application returns to block  604  and continues sensing the multi-touch gesture, such as for changes in the gesture as the user adjusts the gesture. If a home touch gesture has been applied (“Yes” path of block  610 ), the application registers the recognized Braille character (block  612 ). The application optionally provides audible or tactile feedback to the user about the registering or accepting of the input (block  614 ). Such optional feedback may give the user an indication to proceed to the next gesture for another input, or remove all touch points to end the input process. 
         [0085]    The application determines whether all touch points have been removed from the virtual Braille keyboard (block  616 ). If at least some touch points remain, i.e., at least some contact is maintained with the virtual Braille keyboard (“No” block  616 ), the application returns to block  604  to recognize the next multi-touch gesture. If all touch points have been removed from the virtual Braille keyboard (“Yes” path of block  616 ), the application ends the input recognition process (block  618 ). The application optionally provides audible or tactile feedback to the user about the end of the process of registering or accepting of the input (block  620 ). Such optional feedback may provide the user a confirmation of the completion of the Braille input process. The application ends process  600  thereafter. 
         [0086]    Thus, a computer implemented method, system or apparatus, and computer program product are provided in the illustrative embodiments for Braille data entry using continuous contact virtual keyboard. Where an embodiment or a portion thereof is described with respect to a type of device, the computer implemented method, system or apparatus, the computer program product, or a portion thereof, are adapted or configured for use with a suitable and comparable manifestation of that type of device. 
         [0087]    Where an embodiment is described as implemented in an application, the delivery of the application in a Software as a Service (SaaS) model is contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments. In a SaaS model, the capability of the application implementing an embodiment is provided to a user by executing the application in a cloud infrastructure. 
         [0088]    The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. 
         [0089]    The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. 
         [0090]    Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. 
         [0091]    Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. 
         [0092]    Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. 
         [0093]    These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0094]    The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0095]    The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.