Method and apparatus for launching activities

• US 10,209,883 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven Henry, Orr, Kevin Howard, Moosavi, Vahid
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US15/235,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A handheld electronic device having a microprocessor housed within a body including a display area and a contact-sensitive area is disclosed. The contact-sensitive area detects contact engagement therewith and produces instruction data based thereupon. A microprocessor-run software program receives instruction data from the contact-sensitive area. The contact-sensitive area has a home zone area and a plurality of activity launch zone areas. The software program is programmed to process the instruction data and determine sweeping contact motion detected on the contact-sensitive area originating at the home zone area and terminating at one of the plurality of activity launch zone areas. The program responsively launches an operator-instructed activity corresponding to the activity launch zone area at which the sweeping contact motion terminated.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device comprising:

a display area adapted to render information;

a contact-sensitive area adapted to detect contact engagement therewith;

a processor communicatively coupled with the display and contact-sensitive area; and

a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the steps comprising;

rendering a home location and application icons on the display area;

detecting a first sweeping motion on the contact-sensitive area originating at a single home zone area and terminating at one of a plurality of activity launch zone areas, wherein the first sweeping contact motion is associated with the single home zone area, the single home zone area corresponds to the home location, and each activity launch zone area corresponds to one of the application icons;

launching an application corresponding to the activity launch zone area at which the first sweeping contact motion terminated;

following the launch of the application, detecting a second sweeping motion on the contact-sensitive area originating at one of a plurality of home zone areas and terminating at one of a plurality of activity launch zone areas, wherein the second sweeping contact motion is associated with the plurality of home zone areas, each of the plurality of home zone areas is different than the single home zone area, each activity launch zone area corresponds to an associated function corresponding to the launched application, and a plurality of functions associated with the plurality of activity launch zone areas are the only functions performed by the second sweeping contact motion; and

executing the function corresponding to the launched application and activity launch zone area at which the second sweeping contact motion terminated.

2. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the single home zone area is located approximately in a center portion of the contact-sensitive area.

3. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first sweeping contact motion originates at the single home zone area and is substantially straight from the single home zone area to the activity launch zone.

4. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of home zone areas include a bottom home zone area located substantially in a bottom-center portion of the contact sensitive area and a top home zone area located substantially in a top-center portion of the contact sensitive area.

5. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 4 wherein at least one of the associated functions comprise:

select, escape and menu.

6. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact-sensitive area is overlaid by a keyboard comprising a plurality of input keys.

7. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 6 wherein the input keys are depressibly actuatable.

8. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 6 wherein the input keys are contact actuatable.

9. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 6 wherein the input keys are finger actuatable.

10. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact-sensitive area and the display area are superimposed, one on the other at a front side of the device.

11. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact-sensitive area and the display area are located adjacent to one another at a front side of the device.

12. The handheld electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of home zone areas are located in substantially equally spaced portions of the contact-sensitive area.

13. A method for a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

rendering a home location and application icons on a display area of the handheld electronic device;

detecting a first sweeping motion on a contact-sensitive area originating at a single home zone area and terminating at one of a plurality of activity launch zone areas, wherein the first sweeping contact motion is associated with the single home zone area, the single home zone area corresponds to the home location and each activity launch zone area corresponds to one of the application icons;

launching an application corresponding to the activity launch zone area at which the first sweeping contact motion terminated;

following the launch of the application, detecting a second sweeping motion on the contact-sensitive area originating at one of a plurality of home zone areas and terminating at one of a plurality of activity launch zone areas, wherein the second sweeping contact motion is associated with the plurality of home zone areas, each of the plurality of home zone areas is different than the single home zone area, each activity launch zone area corresponds to an associated function corresponding to the launched application, and a plurality of functions associated with the plurality of activity launch zone areas are the only functions performed by the second sweeping contact motion; and

executing the function corresponding to the launched application and activity launch zone area at which the second sweeping contact motion terminated.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the single home zone area is located approximately in a center portion of the contact-sensitive area.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the first sweeping contact motion originates at the single home zone area and is substantially straight from the single home zone area to the activity launch zone.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the plurality of home zone areas include a bottom home zone area located substantially in a bottom-center portion of the contact sensitive area and a top home zone area located substantially in a top-center portion of the contact sensitive area.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein at least one of the associated functions comprise:

select, escape and menu.

18. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising overlaying a keyboard comprising a plurality of input keys over the contact-sensitive area.

19. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising superimposing the contact-sensitive area and the display area, one on the other at a front side of the device.

20. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the plurality of home zone areas are located in substantially equally spaced portions of the contact-sensitive area.