U.S. patent application number 13/961378 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-28 for location of a touch-sensitive control method and apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to BlackBerry Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is BlackBerry Limited. Invention is credited to Jason Tyler GRIFFIN, Todd Andrew WOOD.
Application Number | 20130318474 13/961378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45770330 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130318474 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GRIFFIN; Jason Tyler ; et
al. |
November 28, 2013 |
LOCATION OF A TOUCH-SENSITIVE CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS
Abstract
A method includes detecting a touch on a touch-sensitive display
at a location not associated with a control, displaying, in
association with the location, a displayed control, and activating
the displayed control.
Inventors: |
GRIFFIN; Jason Tyler;
(Kitchener, CA) ; WOOD; Todd Andrew; (Toronto,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BlackBerry Limited |
Waterloo |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
BlackBerry Limited
Waterloo
CA
|
Family ID: |
45770330 |
Appl. No.: |
13/961378 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12874714 |
Sep 2, 2010 |
8531417 |
|
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13961378 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/810 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04886 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/810 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: detecting a touch on a touch-sensitive
display at a location not associated with a control; in response to
detecting the touch, displaying a plurality of different controls;
identifying a selected control from the plurality of different
controls; displaying, in association with the location, the
selected control as a displayed control and activating the
displayed control.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the displayed control
comprises associating the location with at least one function
associated with the displayed control.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a function
associated with the displayed control when a subsequent touch
associated with the displayed control is detected.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control is a control
panel.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an option
to locate the displayed control.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a control
in an alternate format prior to detecting the touch.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the displayed
control to another location
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the displayed
control to a second location, wherein the first location is located
on a first segment of the touch-sensitive display and the second
location is located on a second segment of the touch-sensitive
display, wherein the first segment and the second segment are
physically separated.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed control is
displayed in a reduced format when the control is not used for a
predetermined period of time or after power down of the
touch-sensitive display.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second
control in response to detecting a second touch; associating a
first set of functions with the displayed control; associating a
second set of functions with the second control; associating a
third set of controls to a combination of touches associated with
the displayed control and the second control.
11. A computer-readable device having computer-readable code
executable by at least one processor of the portable electronic
device to perform the method of claim 1.
12. An electronic device comprising: a touch-sensitive display; a
processor configured to: detect a touch on a touch-sensitive
display at a location not associated with a control; in response to
detecting the touch, display a plurality of different controls;
identify a selected control from the plurality of different
controls; display, in association with the location, the selected
control as a displayed control; activate the displayed control.
13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to activate the displayed control by associating the
location with at least one function associated with the displayed
control.
14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to perform a function associated with the displayed
control when a subsequent touch associated with the displayed
control is detected.
15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the selected control
is a control panel.
16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to display an option to locate the displayed
control.
17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to display the plurality of different controls in an
alternate format.
18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to move the displayed control to another location in
response to detecting a touch event.
19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is
configured to move the displayed control to a second location,
wherein the first location is located on a first segment of the
touch-sensitive display and the second location is located on a
second segment of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the first
segment and the second segment are physically separated.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:
display a second control in response to detecting a second touch;
associate a first set of functions with the displayed control;
associate a second set of functions with the second control;
associate a third set of controls to a combination of touches
associated with the displayed control and the second control;
wherein a first subset of the first set of functions is common with
a first subset of the second set of functions, wherein a second
subset of the first set of functions is different from a second
subset of the second set of functions, and wherein display of the
first control overlaps in time with display of the second control.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of and claims
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/874,714, filed on
Sep. 2, 2010, titled "LOCATION OF A TOUCH-SENSITIVE CONTROL METHOD
AND APPARATUS," the contents of which application are incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0002] The present disclosure relates to electronic devices,
including but not limited to, portable electronic devices having
touch-sensitive displays and their control.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices,
have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions
including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other
personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable
electronic devices include, for example, several types of mobile
stations such as simple cellular telephones, smart telephones,
wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop computers
with wireless 802.11 or Bluetooth capabilities.
[0004] Portable electronic devices such as PDAs or smart telephones
are generally intended for handheld use and ease of portability.
Smaller devices are generally desirable for portability. A
touch-sensitive display, also known as a touchscreen display, is
particularly useful on handheld devices, which are small and have
limited space for user input and output. The information displayed
on the touch-sensitive displays may be modified depending on the
functions and operations being performed. With continued demand for
decreased size of portable electronic devices, touch-sensitive
displays continue to decrease in size.
[0005] Improvements in devices with touch-sensitive displays are
desirable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in
accordance with the disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic
device with piezoelectric actuators in accordance with the
disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a portable electronic
device with a depressed touch-sensitive display in accordance with
the disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of a piezoelectric actuator
in accordance with the disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of a piezoelectric actuator
with a force sensor in accordance with the disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 6 through FIG. 9 illustrate locating and moving a
displayed control on a touch-sensitive display in accordance with
the disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate dual displayed controls in
accordance with the disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method of locating a
control on a touch-sensitive display in accordance with the
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The following describes an apparatus for and method of
locating a control on a touch-sensitive display. A control,
comprising a single control such as a navigation control or a
control panel such as a navigation panel, is located by touch
input. The location of the control may be moved. The control may be
selected from a plurality of controls and/or control panels.
Controls may be added or deleted.
[0015] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference
numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate
corresponding or analogous elements. Numerous details are set forth
to provide an understanding of the embodiments described herein.
The embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other
instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not
been described in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments
described. The description is not to be considered as limited to
the scope of the embodiments described herein.
[0016] The disclosure generally relates to an electronic device,
which is a portable electronic device in the embodiments described
herein. Examples of portable electronic devices include mobile, or
handheld, wireless communication devices such as pagers, cellular
phones, cellular smart-phones, wireless organizers, personal
digital assistants, wirelessly enabled notebook computers, and so
forth. The portable electronic device may also be a portable
electronic device without wireless communication capabilities, such
as a handheld electronic game device, digital photograph album,
digital camera, or other device.
[0017] A block diagram of an example of a portable electronic
device 100 is shown in FIG. 1. The portable electronic device 100
includes multiple components, such as a processor 102 that controls
the overall operation of the portable electronic device 100.
Communication functions, including data and voice communications,
are performed through a communication subsystem 104. Data received
by the portable electronic device 100 is decompressed and decrypted
by a decoder 106. The communication subsystem 104 receives messages
from and sends messages to a wireless network 150. The wireless
network 150 may be any type of wireless network, including, but not
limited to, data wireless networks, voice wireless networks, and
networks that support both voice and data communications. A power
source 142, such as one or more rechargeable batteries or a port to
an external power supply, powers the portable electronic device
100.
[0018] The processor 102 interacts with other components, such as
Random Access Memory (RAM) 108, memory 110, a display 112 with a
touch-sensitive overlay 114 operably connected to an electronic
controller 116 that together comprise a touch-sensitive display
118, one or more actuators 120, one or more force sensors 122, an
auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 124, a data port 126, a
speaker 128, a microphone 130, short-range communications 132, and
other device subsystems 134. User-interaction with a graphical user
interface is performed through the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The
processor 102 interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 via
the electronic controller 116. Information, such as text,
characters, symbols, images, icons, and other items that may be
displayed or rendered on a portable electronic device, is displayed
on the touch-sensitive display 118 via the processor 102. The
processor 102 may interact with one or more optional navigation
devices 140, such as one or more touch-sensitive track pads,
trackballs, optical joysticks, and so forth, to interface with a
user to provide input. The navigation device 140 may be utilized,
for example, to navigate through information on a display, control
a cursor or other indicator, edit information, select information,
and so forth. The processor 102 may interact with an accelerometer
136 that may be utilized to detect direction of gravitational
forces or gravity-induced reaction forces.
[0019] To identify a subscriber for network access, the portable
electronic device 100 uses a Subscriber Identity Module or a
Removable User Identity Module (SIM/RUIM) card 138 for
communication with a network, such as the wireless network 150.
Alternatively, user identification information may be programmed
into memory 110.
[0020] The portable electronic device 100 includes an operating
system 146 and software programs or components 148 that are
executed by the processor 102 and are typically stored in a
persistent, updatable store such as the memory 110. Additional
applications or programs may be loaded onto the portable electronic
device 100 through the wireless network 150, the auxiliary I/O
subsystem 124, the data port 126, the short-range communications
subsystem 132, or any other suitable subsystem 134.
[0021] A received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message,
or web page download is processed by the communication subsystem
104 and input to the processor 102. The processor 102 processes the
received signal for output to the display 112 and/or to the
auxiliary I/O subsystem 124. A subscriber may generate data items,
for example e-mail messages, which may be transmitted over the
wireless network 150 through the communication subsystem 104. For
voice communications, the overall operation of the portable
electronic device 100 is similar. The speaker 128 outputs audible
information converted from electrical signals, and the microphone
130 converts audible information into electrical signals for
processing.
[0022] The touch-sensitive display 118 may be any suitable
touch-sensitive display, such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared,
surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch-sensitive display, strain gauge,
optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse
recognition, and so forth, as known in the art. A capacitive
touch-sensitive display includes a capacitive touch-sensitive
overlay 114. The overlay 114 may be an assembly of multiple layers
in a stack including, for example, a substrate, a ground shield
layer, a barrier layer, one or more capacitive touch sensor layers
separated by a substrate or other barrier, and a cover. The
capacitive touch sensor layers may be any suitable material, such
as patterned indium tin oxide (ITO).
[0023] One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch
events, may be detected by the touch-sensitive display 118. The
processor 102 may determine attributes of the touch, including a
location of a touch. Touch location data may include an area of
contact or a single point of contact, such as a point at or near a
center of the area of contact. A signal is provided to the
controller 116 in response to detection of a touch. A touch may be
detected from any suitable object, such as a finger, thumb,
appendage, or other items, for example, a stylus, pen, or other
pointer, depending on the nature of the touch-sensitive display
118. The controller 116 and/or the processor 102 may detect a touch
by any suitable contact member on the touch-sensitive display 118.
Multiple simultaneous touches may be detected.
[0024] Tactile feedback may optionally be provided. The actuator(s)
120 may be depressed by applying sufficient force to the
touch-sensitive display 118 to overcome the actuation force of the
actuator 120. The actuator 120 may be actuated by pressing anywhere
on the touch-sensitive display 118. The actuator 120 may provide
input to the processor 102 when actuated. Actuation of the actuator
120 may result in provision of tactile feedback. Various different
types of actuators 120 may be utilized, although only two are
described herein. When force is applied, the touch-sensitive
display 118 is depressible, pivotable, and/or movable.
[0025] A sectional side view of a portable electronic device 100
with piezoelectric ("piezo") actuators 120 is shown in FIG. 2. The
cross section is taken through the centers of the actuators 120.
The portable electronic device 100 includes a housing 202 that
encloses components such as shown in FIG. 1. The housing 202 may
include a back 204 and a frame 206 that houses the touch-sensitive
display 118. Sidewalls 208 extend between the back 204 and the
frame 206. A base 210 extends between the sidewalls 208, generally
parallel to the back 204, and supports the actuators 120. The
display 112 and the overlay 114 are supported on a support tray 212
of suitable material, such as magnesium. Spacers 216 may be located
between the support tray 212 and the frame 206. The spacers 216 may
advantageously be flexible and may also be compliant or
compressible, and may comprise gel pads, spring elements such as
leaf springs, foam, and so forth.
[0026] The touch-sensitive display 118 is moveable and depressible
with respect to the housing 202. A force 302 applied to the
touch-sensitive display 118 moves, or depresses, the
touch-sensitive display 118 toward the base 210, and when
sufficient force is applied, the actuator 120 is depressed or
actuated as shown in FIG. 3. The touch-sensitive display 118 may
also pivot within the housing to depress the actuator 120. The
actuators 120 may be actuated by pressing anywhere on the
touch-sensitive display 118. The processor 102 receives a signal
when the actuator 120 is depressed or actuated.
[0027] A sectional side view of a piezo actuator 120 is shown in
FIG. 4. The actuator 120 may comprise one or more piezo devices or
elements 402. The cross-section of FIG. 4 is taken through the
center of one of the piezo actuators 120 utilized in this example.
The piezo actuator 120 is shown disposed between the base 210 and
the touch-sensitive display 118. The piezo actuator 120 includes a
piezoelectric element 402, such as a piezoelectric ceramic disk,
fastened to a substrate 404, for example, by adhesive, lamination,
laser welding, and/or by other suitable fastening method or device.
The piezoelectric material may be lead zirconate titanate or any
other suitable material. Although the piezo element 402 is a
ceramic disk in this example, the piezoelectric material may have
any suitable shape and geometrical features, for example a
non-constant thickness, chosen to meet desired specifications.
[0028] The substrate 404, which may also be referred to as a shim,
may be comprised of a metal such as nickel or any other suitable
material such as, for example, stainless steel, brass, and so
forth. The substrate 404 bends when the piezo element 402 contracts
diametrically, as a result of build up of charge at the piezo
element 402 or in response to a force, such as an external force
applied to the touch-sensitive display 118.
[0029] The substrate 404 and piezo element 402 may be suspended or
disposed on a support 406 such as a ring-shaped frame for
supporting the piezo element 402 while permitting flexing of the
piezo actuator 120 as shown in FIG. 4. The supports 406 may be
disposed on the base 210 or may be part of or integrated with the
base 210, which may be a printed circuit board. Optionally, the
substrate 404 may rest on the base 210, and each actuator 120 may
be disposed, suspended, or preloaded in an opening in the base 210.
The actuator 120 is not fastened to the support 406 or the base 210
in these embodiments. The actuator 120 may optionally be fastened
to the support 406 through any suitable method, such as adhesive or
other bonding methods.
[0030] A pad 408 may be disposed between the piezo actuator 120 and
the touch-sensitive display 118. The pad 408 in the present example
is a compressible element that may provide at least minimal
shock-absorbing or buffering protection and may comprise suitable
material, such as a hard rubber, silicone, and/or polyester, and/or
may comprise other materials such as polycarbonate. The pad 408 may
provide a bumper or cushion for the piezo actuator 120 as well as
facilitate actuation of the piezo actuator 120 and/or one or more
force sensors 122 that may be disposed between the piezo actuators
120 and the touch-sensitive display 118. The pad 408 does not
substantially dampen the force applied to or on the touch-sensitive
display 118. The pad 408 is advantageously aligned with a force
sensor 122. When the touch-sensitive display 118 is depressed, the
force sensor 122 generates a force signal that is received and
interpreted by the microprocessor 102. The pads 408 facilitate the
focus of forces exerted on the touch-sensitive display 118 onto the
force sensors 122. The pads 408 transfer forces between the
touch-sensitive display 118 and the actuators 120, whether the
force sensors 122 are above or below the pads 408. The pads 408 are
advantageously flexible and resilient, and facilitate provision of
tactile feedback from the actuators 120 to the touch-sensitive
display 118.
[0031] An optional force sensor 122 may be disposed between the
piezo actuator 120 and the touch-sensitive display 118 as shown in
FIG. 5. The force sensor 122 may be disposed between the
touch-sensitive display 118 and the pad 408 or between the pad and
the piezo actuator 120, to name a few examples. The force sensors
122 may be force-sensitive resistors, strain gauges, piezoelectric
or piezoresistive devices, pressure sensors, or other suitable
devices. Force as utilized throughout the specification, including
the claims, refers to force measurements, estimates, and/or
calculations, such as pressure, deformation, stress, strain, force
density, force-area relationships, thrust, torque, and other
effects that include force or related quantities. A piezoelectric
device, which may be the piezo element 402, may be utilized as a
force sensor.
[0032] Force information related to a detected touch may be
utilized to select information, such as information associated with
a location of a touch. For example, a touch that does not meet a
force threshold may highlight a selection option, whereas a touch
that meets a force threshold may select or input that selection
option. Selection options include, for example, displayed or
virtual keys of a keyboard; selection boxes or windows, e.g.,
"cancel," "delete," or "unlock"; function buttons, such as play or
stop on a music player; and so forth. Different magnitudes of force
may be associated with different functions or input. Virtual, also
known as soft, keys are displayed. The term "key" or "button" is
used interchangeably herein. For example, a lesser force may result
in panning, and a higher force may result in zooming.
[0033] Portable electronic devices are manufactured in many
different form factors, e.g., candybar also referred to as slab or
slate or tablet, flip or clamshell, slider, swivel, and so forth.
These form factors may take on one or both of landscape and
portrait orientations. Portable electronic devices also have varied
sizes and shapes. Controls are placed in fixed locations on these
devices, which locations may not be comfortable for users in all
circumstances. For example, a user with smaller hands, who
thumb-types, or who operates a device with one hand may not be able
to easily operate navigation controls that are placed in the middle
of a larger electronic device in a landscape orientation. Because
touch-sensitive displays are flexible in that virtual controls,
such as soft keys or buttons, may be displayed at a location, this
flexibility is utilized to provide even greater flexibility by
providing the user with the ability to select the location for soft
controls such as navigation controls, e.g., a navigation button
that navigates through information on a display by scrolling or
panning, controls a cursor or other indicator, edits information,
selects information, and so forth; a menu button that displays
various menu options; and a back button that causes the device to
go back a page, function, level, process, or other operation. The
following describes a method and apparatus for locating one or more
controls on a touch-sensitive display 118.
[0034] Locating and moving displayed controls on a
landscape-oriented touch-sensitive display are shown in FIG. 6. As
shown on the upper display 118 of FIG. 6, a touch is detected on
the touch-sensitive display 118 at a location 601 not associated
with a control when the touch is detected. A location is not
associated with a control, for example, when no control is
activated for that location, when no control operation is performed
when a touch is detected at that location, when no control is
displayed for that location when the display is on, and so forth. A
control 603 that comprises a control panel in this example is shown
displayed in association with the location 601, as shown on the
middle display 118 of FIG. 6. The control 603 may optionally be
moved to another location input from the user, for example, by a
touch. In this example, the control 603 is moved when a touch
event, such as a sliding touch or swipe, moves along the display to
another location, where the control 603 is redisplayed. The control
603 may optionally move along the display 118 until the touch event
ends, e.g., when no touch is detected, as shown by the arrow 605 on
the lower display 118 of FIG. 6. The control 603 may be displayed
in response to a touch that moves to another location in a single
continuous touch or alternatively multiple separate touches, such
as a first touch, such as a tap that brings up the control 603, and
a second touch, such as a second tap or a swipe or drag to touch
location where the control is located. The control 603 that is a
navigation control panel in this example is activated, and further
touches associated with any location associated with the control
are processed in accordance with the control associated with the
touch location(s). The original location 601 may be anywhere on the
touch-sensitive display 118, and the final location of the control
603 may be moved to any location on the touch-sensitive display
118, such as on the left or right side, top or bottom, along an
edge, and so forth.
[0035] Locating and moving displayed controls on a
portrait-oriented touch-sensitive display is shown in FIG. 7 and
FIG. 8. As shown on the left display 118 of FIG. 7, a touch is
detected on the touch-sensitive display 118 at a location 701 not
associated with a control when the touch is detected. A control 703
that comprises a control panel in this example is shown displayed
in association with the location 701 as shown on the middle display
118 of FIG. 7. The control 703 may optionally be oriented
differently via input from the user, for example, by a touch. The
control 703 is moved when a touch event, such as a curved sliding
touch or swipe, moves along the display to another location, where
the control 705 is displayed in a new orientation, as shown on the
right display 118 of FIG. 7. The control 703, 705 may optionally be
moved to another location before or after orientation change. The
control 703 that is a navigation control panel in this example is
activated, and further touches associated with any location
associated with the control are processed in accordance with the
control associated with the touch location(s). The original
location 701 may be anywhere on the touch-sensitive display 118,
and the final location of the control 703, 705 may be at any
location on the touch-sensitive display 118, such as on the left or
right side, top or bottom, along an edge, and so forth.
[0036] As shown on the left display 118 of FIG. 8, a touch is
detected on the touch-sensitive display 118 at a location 801 not
associated with a control when the touch is detected. For example,
the device 100 may verify that no control is associated with the
location 801 in a map of locations and controls for the current
information being displayed. Optionally, one or more control
options, such as one or more single controls and/or one or more
control panels, may be displayed for selection as the control, as
shown in the left display of FIG. 8. The control options 807 may be
displayed before or after detection of the touch that initiates the
control selection process. The control options 807 may be displayed
in alternate format, such as dotted form, to initiate the control
selection process, such as at 1202 in FIG. 12, or to further the
process, such as at 1206 in FIG. 12. In this example, the lowermost
control panel of the options 807 is selected as the control. The
selected control 803 comprises a control panel in this example and
is shown displayed in association with the location 801, as shown
on the middle display 118 of FIG. 8. The control 803 may optionally
be moved to another location input from the user, for example, by a
touch. In this example, the control 803 is moved in response to a
touch event, such a tap or double-tap, at another location 805
where the control 803 is redisplayed, as shown on the right display
118 of FIG. 8. The control 803 is a navigation control panel
comprising a navigation control 140, menu button 809, and back
button 811 in this example. The control 803 is activated, and
further touches associated with any location associated with the
control are processed in accordance with the control 140, 809, 811
associated with the touch location(s), e.g., menu, navigation, or
back, respectively. The original location 801 may be anywhere on
the touch-sensitive display 118, and the final location of the
control 803 may be moved to any location on the touch-sensitive
display 118, such as on the left or right side, top or bottom,
along an edge, and so forth.
[0037] Locating and moving displayed controls on a
landscape-oriented touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic
device 100 comprising a flip or clamshell device 900 is shown in
FIG. 9. In the example of FIG. 9, the flip device 900 comprises two
segments or sections that fold via a hinge and are physically
separated. Each segment contains at least one touch-sensitive
display area, which combined areas comprise the touch-sensitive
display 118. As shown on the left device 900 of FIG. 9, a touch is
detected on the lower segment 905 touch-sensitive display 118 at a
location 901 not associated with a control when the touch is
detected, and a control 903 that comprises a control panel in this
example is shown displayed in association with the location 901.
The control 903 may optionally be moved to another location input
from the user, for example, by a touch. In this example, the
control 903 is moved in response to detecting a touch event, such
as a sliding touch or swipe illustrated by the arrow, which touch
event moves along the display 118 to another location, where the
control 903 is redisplayed. The control 903 may optionally move
along the display 118 until the touch event ends, e.g., when no
touch is detected, as shown on the right display 118 of FIG. 9. In
this example, the touch event moves from the lower segment 905 to
the upper segment 907 of the device 900. Optionally, a tap or
double tap on the upper segment may be utilized to move the control
903. The control 903 is a navigation control panel comprising a
navigation control, menu button, and back button in this example.
The control 903 is activated, and further touches associated with
any location associated with the control are processed in
accordance with the control 903 associated with the touch
location(s), e.g., menu, navigation, or back. The original location
901 may be anywhere on the touch-sensitive display 118, and the
final location of the control 903 may be moved to any location on
the touch-sensitive display 118, such as on the left or right side,
top or bottom, along an edge, on either segment, and so forth. The
control 903 may optionally be located and activated on a
touch-sensitive display on an outer surface of the flip device 900,
for example, when the flip device 900 is folded or closed.
[0038] Dual displayed controls are illustrated in FIG. 10. More
than one control or control panel may be displayed, for example, on
electronic devices 100 with larger form factors, such as a
landscape flip or a tablet. A control 903 is displayed in
association with a first location at which a touch is detected on
the touch-sensitive display 118. In this example, the control 903
is a navigation control panel comprising a navigation control 140,
menu button, and back button displayed on the right side of a lower
segment 505 of a flip device 900. The control 903 is the first
control activated, i.e., no similar control was active at the time
the control is activated, and becomes the primary or dominant
control.
[0039] Another control 1003 is displayed in association with a
second location at which a touch is detected on the touch-sensitive
display 118. In this example, the control 1003 is also a navigation
control panel comprising a navigation control 140, menu button, and
back button displayed on the left side of the lower segment 505 of
a flip device 900. This control 1003 is the second control
activated, i.e., a similar control was active at the time the
control 1003 is activated, and becomes the secondary, subservient,
or special control.
[0040] Functions are associated with each control 903, 1003 upon
activation, and subsequent touches associated with any location
associated with the control 903, 1003 are processed in accordance
with the function associated with the touch location(s). The user
may switch or change which control 903, 1003 acts as the dominant
control and which control 903, 1003 acts as the secondary control.
The switch or change may be input through a menu or special gesture
that is recognized as switching the dominant/secondary control
assignment.
[0041] The primary control 903 and secondary control 1003 may both
be associated with common functions, and when a conflict arises
with the simultaneous use of these controls 903, 1003, the primary
control 903 rules, and the secondary control 1003 is ignored as
long as the conflict exists. For example, the menu button or back
button may be driven by either control 903, 1003. In another
example, selection of a feature may be made by a tap on either
navigation device 140.
[0042] Advantageously, the primary control 903 may be associated
with one set of functions, while the secondary control 1003 is
associated with a different set of functions. A set of functions
comprises one or more functions. Functions may vary based on the
application or information being displayed. Functions in the two
sets may be paired. The controls 903, 1003 may advantageously work
together and have a complementary relationship depending on the
application, information displayed, functions, and so forth. The
following are a number of examples of pairs of functions. One
navigation control 140 may pan or scroll an image or webpage, while
the other navigation control 140 zooms in or out on the image or
webpage. One navigation control 140 may provide navigation control,
such as moving, e.g., panning or scrolling through displayed
information, while the other navigation control 140 is a cursor
control that moves a cursor, highlighter or other indicator through
the displayed information, and may also bring up and remove the
cursor. One navigation control 140 may pan or scroll through
webpage, while the other navigation control 140 moves the
information in a window or field displayed on the webpage, such as
a map moving in a window on a webpage. One navigation control 140
may be a fine cursor control, e.g., less movement along the display
compared to the movement along the control, and the other
navigation control 140 may be a course cursor control, e.g., more
movement along the display compared to the movement along the
control. Different gaming controls may be assigned to each control
903, 1003, such as moving up or down with one control 140 and left
or right with the other, weapons and shields, different objects or
characters, and other game controls.
[0043] A combination of touches on the controls 903, 1003 may
provide an optional third set of functions. For example, holding
one navigation control 140 while a moving touch along the other
navigation control 140 may result in highlighting information,
deleting information, various gaming functions, and so forth. In a
map, browser, or other application, cursor control, panning
control, zoom control may be provided by touches on the individual
and combination of controls, and so forth.
[0044] Each control may control a respective endpoint in the
displayed information. For example, the primary control 903 may
control one end point 1105 and the secondary control 1003 may
control a second end point 1107 associated with information
displayed on the touch sensitive display 118, such as shown in FIG.
11. The end points may comprise, for example, the beginning and end
points for selecting text for editing functions, corners that
identify an area for zooming or cropping, e.g., for an image or
webpage, the beginning and end times for a meeting or event, and so
forth.
[0045] The first and second locations may be fixed or unmoving
locations on the touch-sensitive display 118. Prior to activation,
an alternate image, such as a ghosted, outlined, dashed, darkened,
shaded, or other alternate format in the shape of the control, may
be displayed to identify the location and size of the controls 903,
1003 for easy identification. Alternatively, one or both of the
controls 903, 1003 may be moved to different locations. The first
and/or second locations may not have been associated with any
displayed control at the time of the activation of the controls
903, 1003.
[0046] The secondary control 1003 may be displayed in a format that
is different than the format utilized to display the primary
control 903. For example, different colors, highlighting,
shadowing, ghosting, and other format characteristics may be
distinguished between the two controls 903, 1003. For example, the
primary control 903 may be displayed in full color, while the
secondary control may be display in black and white or other
alternative colors, in outline or embossed form, with significantly
less brightness, and so forth.
[0047] The navigation controls 140 described in the examples above
are virtual controls displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118.
Optionally, on or more of the navigation devices 140 may be a
physical device, such as a track pad, a trackball, and an optical
joystick, rather than a virtual control displayed on the
touch-sensitive display 118. The physical device may be dormant
until activated, e.g., by detection of a tap, double tap, or other
gesture or touch on the device 140. Optionally, one or more other
controls, such as a menu button, back button, call answer button,
call disconnect button, and so forth, may be displayed next to or
near one or more physical devices 140 when activated. The first
navigation control 140 activated becomes the dominant control, and
if a second navigation control 140 is activated, it becomes the
secondary control, as described above.
[0048] A flowchart illustrating a method of locating a control on a
touch-sensitive display of an electronic device is shown in FIG.
12. The control may be a single control or a control panel, such as
described above. The method may be carried out by software
executed, for example, by the processor 102. Coding of software for
carrying out such a method is within the scope of a person of
ordinary skill in the art given the present description. The method
may contain additional or fewer processes than shown and/or
described, and may be performed in a different order.
Computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of the
portable electronic device 100 to perform the method may be stored
in a computer-readable medium or device.
[0049] An option to locate one or more controls is optionally
displayed 1202 on the touch-sensitive display 118. The option may
be displayed for a fixed time period, until a control is located,
until cancelled by user input, and so forth. Locations for one or
more controls may optionally be displayed at 1202, for example, as
a simple shape, e.g., a circle, rectangle, and so forth, or as a
more complex shape, such as an outline, ghosted, dashed or dotted,
darkened, highlighted, blinking, or other alternatively formatted
version of the control identifier(s) that is displayed when the
control is active. The controls to be located may be prompted by
the device 100 or entered or selected by the user, e.g., through a
menu, option box, display of a list, such as shown in FIG. 8, and
so forth.
[0050] When a touch is detected at a possible location for a
control at 1204, one or more controls may optionally be selected
1206. For example one or more controls, such as a single control,
multiple controls, a control panel, and/or multiple control panels
may be selected from a list, menu, or display of multiple controls
and/or control panels. One example is shown in FIG. 8. The control
location may be optionally previewed at 1208. The preview may
comprise a display of the control as it looks when activated, but
with a variation to indicate that the control is not yet activated.
The variation may be an added question mark displayed on the
control, alternate format such as outline, ghosted, dashed or
dotted, darkened, highlighted, blinking, and so forth, or other
visual, audible, or tactile method of indication. Such a preview
may be beneficial when the user selects a location near an edge of
the touch-sensitive display 118 or when the display may not be
located in the specific location input by the user. The control
locations may alternatively be limited, such as in three or four
locations. These location options may be identified at 1202 or
1208, and may be displayed, for example, as described above with
respect to a preview of the controls.
[0051] The location is selected at 1210, for example, by a touch
event or gesture associated with the location, such as a tap,
double tap, swipe, depression of a moveable touch-sensitive display
118 that meets a threshold, by selecting a menu item or displayed
option, by activating a physical control such as a key, trackpad,
or optical joystick. Tactile feedback may optionally be provided
when the location is selected, such as described above.
[0052] The location may not be associated with a control at the
time the location is selected. The device 100 may determine whether
a control is associated with the location by looking up the
location in a map of locations and active controls for the current
information being displayed. One or more maps may be maintained for
each application or the operating system of the device 100.
Assigning a control to a location when the location is not already
associated with an active control may be advantageous, because that
active control need not be moved, reassigned, or otherwise
processed. The processor 102 may optionally prevent or adjust
control locations based on space constraints or locations of other
controls or information. When a control is associated with a
selected location, the device may temporarily display the new
control at another location, prompt the user with a message
identifying the active control located at the selected language and
request confirmation, prompt the user for a new location for either
the active control or the new control, and so forth.
[0053] The control, which may be a control panel such as shown in
FIG. 6 through 10, is displayed at the selected location 1212, and
the displayed control is activated, for example, by adding the
control to the map associating locations and active controls. The
functions associated with the control are thus associated with the
locations. Detection of a subsequent touch associated with a
location that is associated with the displayed control results in
performance of a function that is associated with that displayed
control.
[0054] Once a control is displayed at the selected location, the
control may optionally be moved 1214. For example, the control may
be moved for a short time after its initial display, upon a prompt
from the device, through menu selection, holding down a physical
control such as <shift>, <alt>, <symbol>, or
<ctrl> while touching the control, and so forth. A control
may be moved by a drag-and-drop or select-and-move operation, such
as touching a location associated with the control and sliding
along the display until the desired location or subsequently
touching the desired location with a non-sliding touch such as a
tap or double tap. The displayed control may move along with the
touch to give better guidance for location. The new location is
selected, for example, by a touch event or gesture associated with
the location, such as a tap, double tap, swipe, depression of a
moveable touch-sensitive display 118 that meets a threshold, by
selecting a menu item or displayed option, by activating a physical
control such as a key, trackpad, or optical joystick. Tactile
feedback may optionally be provided when the location is selected,
such as described above. The control is relocated at the new
location 1216, and any maps or other information associating the
control with functions and locations are updated with the new
location. Controls may be moved any number of times. Control
locations may be stored in a user profile and may be identified as
default locations when the device powers up. Although any location
may be provided for a control, the processor 102 may optionally
prevent or adjust control locations based on space constraints or
locations of other controls or information.
[0055] Additional controls may optionally be added and active
controls may be deactivated or deleted 1218. The process of adding
1220 a new control is similar to the process of locating the
initial control, e.g., in response to a displayed option, entering
an application, selection through a menu, by detecting a touch
associated with a predetermined location, and so forth. The second
control may provide the same or different functions as the initial
control, and the pair of controls may operate such as described
above with respect to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. The user may associate
functions with each control by checking boxes in a list or other
entry process. Deactivating or deleting 1220 a control may simply
involve selecting an option from a menu and touching the control to
deactivate or delete. A prompt to confirm deletion may be provided.
Any functions associated with a deactivated control and its
associated locations are deleted from the map or other associative
process.
[0056] A control may optionally be displayed in a reduced format,
e.g., ghosted, outlined, dashed or dotted, darkened, blinking, and
so forth, when the control has not be used for predetermined period
of time, after power down of the touch-sensitive display, or when
the control is not needed based on the current conditions of the
electronic device 100. Information that is displayed subsequent to
location of a control takes into account the location of the
displayed control to prevent undesired overlap or elimination of
information within the area of the displayed control. Controls may
be located as described above on an electronic device with any form
factor, although the examples described above are provided with
particular form factors.
[0057] Controls are located with input provided by a user,
facilitating more flexible location of controls based on a user's
preferences and operation conditions. One-handed users,
thumb-typers, users with small hands, and anyone who prefers to
locate controls more conveniently to their situation are thus
provided with variable and adaptable capabilities of locating
controls. Multiple controls provide additional user interface
options that are not provided or easily operated on existing
devices. Controls may be located to minimize effect on the
displayed information.
[0058] An electronic device comprises a touch-sensitive display, a
first touch-sensitive device disposed within the touch-sensitive
display, a second touch-sensitive device disposed within the
touch-sensitive display, and a processor configured to: when a
touch is detected on the first touch-sensitive device when the
first touch-sensitive device and the second touch-sensitive device
are not active, activate the first touch-sensitive device as a
dominant control and display a first control near the first
touch-sensitive device; when a touch is detected on the second
touch-sensitive device when the first touch-sensitive device and
the second touch-sensitive device are not active, activate the
second touch-sensitive device as a dominant control and display a
second control near the first touch-sensitive device; when a touch
is detected on the first touch-sensitive device when the second
touch-sensitive device is the dominant control, activate the first
touch-sensitive device as a secondary control and display a third
control near the first touch-sensitive device. The first
touch-sensitive device may be one of a touch-sensitive track pad, a
trackball, and an optical joystick. At least one of the first
touch-sensitive device and the second touch-sensitive device may be
a virtual control displayed on the touch-sensitive display. At
least one of the first control, the second control, and the third
control may be a menu control. A method comprises detecting a first
touch at a first location on a touch-sensitive display; displaying,
in association with the first location, a first control and
activating the first control; detecting a second touch at a second
location on the touch-sensitive display; and displaying, in
association with the second location, a second control and
activating the second control.
[0059] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from its spirit or essential
characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of
the disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims
rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come
within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be
embraced within their scope.
* * * * *