How to Split a Smartphone Keyboard with a Gesture
Apple's 2013 patent describes how to split a phone's keyboard in half and move it up the screen with a swipe, making it easier to type with thumbs.
Original patent title: “Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating soft keyboards”
Apple's 2013 patent describes how to split a phone's keyboard in half and move it up the screen with a swipe, making it easier to type with thumbs. Granted to Apple Inc in 2013 with 23 claims and 6 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2031.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent covers a method and device for changing a full keyboard on a smartphone screen into a split keyboard. When you're using your phone, it shows a regular, unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the screen, along with your app's content. If you make a specific gesture, like a swipe, on the screen, the device turns that keyboard into a split one, with keys for your left thumb on the left and keys for your right thumb on the right. This split keyboard then moves up over the app content. The patent also covers the reverse: swiping the split keyboard back down to make it a full, unsplit keyboard again at the bottom.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Keyboards that are split by default without a gesture.
- Splitting a keyboard without moving it over the application content area.
- Methods that do not involve converting an unsplit keyboard to a split keyboard.
- Methods that do not involve converting a split keyboard to an unsplit keyboard.
- Gestures that do not result in the keyboard moving away from the bottom of the display.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the dynamic conversion and repositioning of the keyboard based on a simple gesture, specifically designed to facilitate thumb typing on larger displays without permanently obscuring application content.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
iPhone split keyboard feature
iPad split keyboard feature
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is significant because it addresses a common usability challenge on larger smartphone screens. The split keyboard design, enabled by this patent, allows users to more comfortably type with both thumbs, a crucial feature for many users. It became a standard feature on many devices.
Filed
September 23, 2011
Granted
November 19, 2013
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more → of this patent, continues to implement and refine split keyboard functionality across its iOS and iPadOS devices. Other smartphone manufacturers have also adopted similar split keyboard features, suggesting broad industry adoption of the underlying concept.
Market impact
This patent covers a feature that significantly improved the usability of touch-screen keyboards on larger devices, particularly for thumb typing. It helped establish the split keyboard as a common and expected feature in mobile operating systems, influencing user interface design for communication apps.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent covers a method and device for changing a full keyboard on a smartphone screen into a split keyboard. When you're using your phone, it shows a regular, unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the screen, along with your app's content. If you make a specific gesture, like a swipe, on the screen, the device turns that keyboard into a split one, with keys for your left thumb on the left and keys for your right thumb on the right. This split keyboard then moves up over the app content. The patent also covers the reverse: swiping the split keyboard back down to make it a full, unsplit keyboard again at the bottom.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the dynamic conversion and repositioning of the keyboard based on a simple gesture, specifically designed to facilitate thumb typing on larger displays without permanently obscuring application content.
What it does not cover
- Keyboards that are split by default without a gesture.
- Splitting a keyboard without moving it over the application content area.
- Methods that do not involve converting an unsplit keyboard to a split keyboard.
- Methods that do not involve converting a split keyboard to an unsplit keyboard.
- Gestures that do not result in the keyboard moving away from the bottom of the display.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
17/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$87K – $280K
Midpoint $175K · 5.2 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Koch, J., Forstall, S., & Cranfill, E. C. F. (2013). How to Split a Smartphone Keyboard with a Gesture (U.S. Patent No. 8,587,547). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8587547/device-method-and-graphical-user-interface-for-manipulating-soft-keyboards
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Split a Smartphone Keyboard with a Gesture cover?
Apple's 2013 patent describes how to split a phone's keyboard in half and move it up the screen with a swipe, making it easier to type with thumbs.
Who owns patent US 8587547?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2013.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 23, 2031, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8587547 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is significant because it addresses a common usability challenge on larger smartphone screens. The split keyboard design, enabled by this patent, allows users to more comfortably type with both thumbs, a crucial feature for many users. It became a standard feature on many devices.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Keyboards that are split by default without a gesture.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
Patent monitoring