The Soft Input Panel (also called S.I.P.) is a special on-screen input method for devices which do not have standard hardware keyboards. SIP is commonly used in Microsoft

Pocket PC A Pocket PC (P/PC, PPC) is a class of personal digital assistant (PDA) that runs the Windows Mobile operating system, which is based on Windows Embedded Compact, Windows CE/Windows Embedded Compact, and that has some of the abilities of modern ...

and

Tablet PC A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers ...

devices, where there is no room for a hardware keyboard. In

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

there is a similar on-screen keyboard used as a

Microsoft Active Accessibility Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) is an application programming interface (API) for user interface accessibility. MSAA was introduced as a platform add-on to Microsoft Windows 95 in 1997. MSAA is designed to help assistive technology (AT) produ ...

(MSAA) which also has an ability to change its layout according to current keyboard language and key layout. It was patented by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

in November 2004 under the patent number 6819315.US Patent 6819315 - Soft input panel system and method

References

{{Reflist Accessibility API Windows administration Microsoft Tablet PC Smartphones Computer-related introductions in 2004