Systems and methods to present multiple frames on a touch screen

• US 10,042,546 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Karmi, Yair, Floyd, Philip D, Worthington, Eric J
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Sang H
• Application Number:
  US12/986,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 715781, 715788, 715863, 455564
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of presenting multiple frames on a touch screen is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes detecting multiple touch locations on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least an activation time. The method also includes splitting a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame based on the multiple touch locations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a first touch event that corresponds to a first phalange of a single finger of a single user remaining at a first location on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least a defined length of time;

detecting a second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to a second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at a second location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time;

determining to split a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame in response to detecting the first touch event that corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the first location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time and detecting the second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the second location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time;

determining a splitting line using the first location and the second location; and

splitting the display area of the touch screen into the first frame and the second frame such that the first frame is on one side of the splitting line and the second frame is on an opposite side of the splitting line.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location on the touch screen at which the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remains for at least the defined length of time is at a first edge of the touch screen, and

wherein the second location on the touch screen at which the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remains for at least the defined length of time is at a second edge of the touch screen, wherein the single finger extending across a width of the touch screen from the first edge to the second edge is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected first touch event corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the first location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time;

and

wherein the detected second touch event corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the second location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extending the splitting line from a first edge of the touch screen to an opposing edge of the touch screen, wherein the first location and the second location correspond to individual segments of the splitting line.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the splitting line as corresponding to a line from the first location to the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is horizontal to an edge of the touch screen; and

computing the splitting line to be horizontal to an edge of the touch screen and located between the first location and the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is slanted with respect to the edge of the touch screen.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a touch screen coupled to the processor;

wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

detect a first touch event that corresponds to a first phalange of a single finger of a single user remaining at a first location on the touch screen for at least a defined length of time;

detect a second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to a second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at a second location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time;

determine to split a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame in response to detecting the first touch event that corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the first location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time and detecting the second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the second location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time;

determine a splitting line using the first location and the second location; and

split the display area of the touch screen into the first frame and the second frame such that the first frame is on one side of the splitting line and the second frame is on an opposite side of the splitting line.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile phone, a music player, a video player, a gaming unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a book reader, a camera, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the detected first touch event corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the first location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time;

and

wherein the detected second touch event corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the second location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

extend the splitting line from a first edge of the touch screen to an opposing edge of the touch screen, wherein the first location and the second location correspond to individual segments of the splitting line.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

determine the splitting line as corresponding to a line from the first location to the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is horizontal to an edge of the touch screen; and

compute the splitting line to be horizontal to an edge of the touch screen and located between the first location and the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is slanted with respect to the edge of the touch screen.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a first touch event that corresponds to a first phalange of a single finger of a single user remaining at a first location on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least a defined length of time;

detecting a second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to a second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at a second location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time;

determining to split a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame in response to detecting the first touch event that corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the first location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time and detecting the second touch event that is simultaneous with the first touch event and corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining at the second location on the touch screen of the electronic device for at least the defined length of time;

determining a splitting line using the first location and the second location; and

splitting the display area of the touch screen into the first frame and the second frame such that the first frame is on one side of the splitting line and the second frame is on an opposite side of the splitting line.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the detected first touch event corresponds to the first phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the first location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time;

and

wherein the detected second touch event corresponds to the second phalange of the single finger of the single user remaining palm down at the second location on the touch screen for at least the defined length of time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise:

extending the splitting line from a first edge of the touch screen to an opposing edge of the touch screen, wherein the first location and the second location correspond to individual segments of the splitting line.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations performed by the processor further comprise:

determining the splitting line as corresponding to a line from the first location to the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is horizontal to an edge of the touch screen; and

computing the splitting line to be horizontal to an edge of the touch screen and located between the first location and the second location when the line from the first location to the second location is slanted with respect to the edge of the touch screen.