Generating a touch-screen output of a selected character with a selected diacritic

• US 10,387,031 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Candela, Pierre C., Hillion, Stephane, Korman, Thierry, Wagner, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesghen
• Application Number:
  US14/176,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• 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
• 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: G06V 30/373 using a special pattern or subpattern alphabet

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product operate a touch-screen device. A first touch on a touch-screen is detected, and a character is selected therefrom. A second touch on the touch-screen is detected, and a diacritic is selected therefrom. A location of the second touch on the touch-screen is determined. A location for the diacritic is selected according to a determined location of the second touch on the touch-screen. A specific touch-screen output of a selected character and a selected diacritic is then generated, where the selected diacritic is located on the selected character according to a selected diacritic location.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch-screen device including a touch-screen, the method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, a first touch on a touch-screen;

selecting, by one or more processors, a character according to a detected first touch on the touch-screen;

detecting, by one or more processors, a second touch on the touch-screen, wherein the second touch is from a movement of an input device across a surface of the touch-screen, and wherein the movement is in a shape of a specific diacritic;

selecting, by one or more processors, the specific diacritic according to a detected second touch on the touch-screen;

determining, by one or more processors, a location of the second touch on the touch-screen;

selecting, by one or more processors, a location for the specific diacritic upon the character according to a determined location of the second touch on the touch-screen; and

generating, by one or more processors, a specific touch-screen output of a selected character and the specific diacritic, wherein the specific diacritic is positioned on the selected character according to a selected diacritic location.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second touch occurs simultaneously with the first touch on the touch-screen.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an indication on the touch-screen, wherein said determining the location of the second touch on the touch-screen is made in reference to the displayed indication.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

displaying multiple indications on the touch-screen, wherein said determining the location of the second touch on the touch-screen is made in reference to the displayed multiple indications.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third touch on the touch-screen, the third touch occurring subsequent to the second touch on the touch-screen;

selecting a second diacritic according to the detected third touch on the touch-screen; and

adding the second diacritic to the generated specific touch-screen output.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

partitioning, by one or more processors, the touch-screen into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section displays a touch-screen keyboard and detects the first touch on the touch-screen keyboard, and wherein the second section detects the movement of the input device across the surface of the touch-screen that is in the shape of the specific diacritic;

splitting, by one or more processors, the second section of the touch-screen into a top section and a bottom section;

displaying, by one or more processors, a visual indicator on the touch-screen, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of positionings of the top section and the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen; and

in response to receiving the second touch from the top section of the second section of the touch-screen, displaying, by one or more processors, the specific diacritic above the selected character on the specific touch-screen output.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning, by one or more processors, the touch-screen into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section displays a touch-screen keyboard and detects the first touch on the touch-screen keyboard, and wherein the second section detects the movement of the input device across the surface of the touch-screen that is in the shape of the specific diacritic;

splitting, by one or more processors, the second section of the touch-screen into a top section and a bottom section;

displaying, by one or more processors, a visual indicator on the touch-screen, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of positionings of the top section and the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen; and

in response to receiving the second touch from the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen, displaying, by one or more processors, the specific diacritic below the selected character on the specific touch-screen output.

8. A touch-screen device comprising a touch-screen and a processor connected to the touch-screen, the processor arranged to:

detect a first touch on a touch-screen;

select a character according to a detected first touch on the touch-screen;

detect a second touch on the touch-screen, wherein the second touch is from a movement of an input device across a surface of the touch-screen, and wherein the movement is in a shape of a specific diacritic;

select the specific diacritic according to a detected second touch on the touch-screen;

determine a location of the second touch on the touch-screen;

select a location for the specific diacritic upon the character according to a determined location of the second touch on the touch-screen; and

generate a specific touch-screen output of a selected character and the specific diacritic, wherein the specific diacritic is positioned on the selected character according to a selected diacritic location.

9. The touch-screen device according to claim 8, wherein the second touch occurs simultaneously with the first touch on the touch-screen.

10. The touch-screen device according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further arranged to:

display an indication on the touch-screen; and

determine the location of the second touch on the touch-screen in reference to the displayed indication.

11. The touch-screen device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further arranged to:

display multiple indications on the touch-screen; and

determine the location of the second touch on the touch-screen in reference to the displayed multiple indications.

12. The touch-screen device according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further arranged to:

detect a third touch on the touch-screen, the third touch occurring subsequent to the second touch on the touch-screen;

select a second diacritic according to the detected third touch on the touch-screen; and

add the second diacritic to the generated specific touch-screen output.

13. The touch-screen device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further arranged to:

partition the touch-screen into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section displays a touch-screen keyboard and detects the first touch on the touch-screen keyboard, and wherein the second section detects the movement of the input device across the surface of the touch-screen that is in the shape of the specific diacritic;

split the second section of the touch-screen into a top section and a bottom section;

display a visual indicator on the touch-screen, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of positionings of the top section and the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen; and

in response to receiving the second touch from the top section of the second section of the touch-screen, display the specific diacritic above the selected character on the specific touch-screen output.

14. The touch-screen device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further arranged to:

partition the touch-screen into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section displays a touch-screen keyboard and detects the first touch on the touch-screen keyboard, and wherein the second section detects the movement of the input device across the surface of the touch-screen that is in the shape of the specific diacritic;

split the second section of the touch-screen into a top section and a bottom section;

display a visual indicator on the touch-screen, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of positionings of the top section and the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen; and

in response to receiving the second touch from the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen, display the specific diacritic below the selected character on the specific touch-screen output.

15. A computer program product for operating a touch-screen device including a touch-screen, wherein the computer program product comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting a first touch on a touch-screen;

selecting a character according to a detected first touch on the touch-screen;

detecting a second touch on the touch-screen, wherein the second touch is from a movement of an input device across a surface of the touch-screen, and wherein the movement is in a shape of a specific diacritic;

selecting the specific diacritic according to a detected second touch on the touch-screen;

determining a location of the second touch on the touch-screen;

selecting a location for the specific diacritic upon the character according to a determined location of the second touch on the touch-screen; and

generating a specific touch-screen output of a selected character and the specific diacritic, wherein the specific diacritic is positioned on the selected character according to a selected diacritic location.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the second touch occurs simultaneously with the first touch on the touch-screen.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying an indication on the touch-screen, wherein said determining the location of the second touch on the touch-screen is made in reference to the displayed indication.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying multiple indications on the touch-screen, wherein said determining the location of the second touch on the touch-screen is made in reference to the displayed multiple indications.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a third touch on the touch-screen, the third touch occurring subsequent to the second touch on the touch-screen;

selecting a second diacritic according to the detected third touch on the touch-screen; and

adding the second diacritic to the generated specific touch-screen output.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

partitioning the touch-screen into a first section and a second section, wherein the first section displays a touch-screen keyboard and detects the first touch on the touch-screen keyboard, and wherein the second section detects the movement of the input device across the surface of the touch-screen that is in the shape of the specific diacritic;

splitting the second section of the touch-screen into a top section and a bottom section;

displaying a visual indicator on the touch-screen, wherein the visual indicator provides a visual indication of positionings of the top section and the bottom section of the second section of the touch-screen; and

in response to receiving the second touch from the top section of the second section of the touch-screen, displaying the specific diacritic above the selected character on the specific touch-screen output.