Yet another user input method: Accelerometer assisted single key input

In this paper we present YAUIM - yet another user input method. YAUIM is an alternative user input mechanism to the conventional keyboard, mouse, and touch screen inputs. It utilizes the embedded accelerometer to detect device movements and tilt positions to enable user inputs. Accelerometers embedded in devices have been used to identify meaningful combinations of movements for gaming and small mobile devices for limited user input. Our goal is to design a fully functioning mechanism using only a single key along with accelerometer assisted positioning to emulate the computer keyboard and mouse functions. We propose to use the single key click to record a valid user input. We design a finite state automaton to combine two consecutive tilt positions to represent characters. We integrate a user specific vocabulary hinting system to improve the word input speed. YAUIM can serve as an innovative computer user input mechanism for regular desktop computers, small mobile devices, and special purpose applications.