Computer touch screen adapted to facilitate selection of features at edge of screen

• US 20020122029A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Murphy, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/903 Modular display

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a hot spot is normally centered in an area of contact between a user'"'"'s finger and a touch screen to position the hot spot on an icon or other feature thereby selecting a program or function corresponding to the icon or feature. When the contact area is near an edge, the hot spot is offset toward the edge so that it coincides more closely to the center of the users finger, thus allowing an icon or other feature adjacent the edge of the screen to be more easily selected. In another embodiment, a cursor is displayed on a touch screen at a location that is offset from the contact area between a finger and the screen. The cursor, which is used as the hot spot of the computer, is normally offset above the contact area except when the contact area is close to the bottom of the screen. The cursor is then offset to the left or right of the contact area depending on whether the contact are is to the left or right of the screen, respectively, so that icons or features adjacent the left or right edges of the screen can be selected. Similarly, when the contact area is very close to the bottom of the screen, the cursor is offset downwardly and to the right or left so that icons or features adjacent the bottom edge of the screen can be selected. Alternatively, a touch sensitive area incapable of displaying an image may be provided beneath a display area of the touch screen to allow icons or features adjacent the bottom edge of the display area to be selected.

Claims

1. A computer, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device storing software instructions for execution by the processor;

a touch screen constructed to display information corresponding to input data signals and to provide data signals corresponding to a user input;

a touch screen driver coupled to the processor and to the touch screen, the touch screen driver being constructed to determine a position of a contact area on the touch screen, and, if the contact area is at a first location on the touch screen, registering the user input at a first position relative to the contact area, and, if the contact area is at a second location on the touch screen that is different from the first location, register the user input at a second position relative to the contact area.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen.

3. The computer of claim 2 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at the first position relative to the contact area by selecting a position for the first position that is closer to the edge than the second position.

4. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen has a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, and wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of either the top edge, the bottom edge, the left edge, or the right edge of the touch screen.

5. The computer of claim 4 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at the first position relative to the contact area by selecting a position for the first position that is closer than the second position to the edge to which the contact area is located within the predetermined distance.

6. The computer of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of any edge of the touch screen, the second location comprises all locations on the touch screen not constituting the first location, the first and second positions are within the contact area, and the first position is offset from the second position toward the edge that the contact area is located within the predetermined distance.

7. The computer of claim 1 wherein the first location is within a predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, the first position is offset from the contact area in a first direction, and the second position is offset from the contact area toward the edge that the contact area is located within the predetermined distance.

8. The computer of claim 7 wherein the first direction is above the contact area.

9. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to cause the display to display a cursor at the first position if the contact area is at the first location on the touch screen, and to display a cursor at the second position if the contact area is at the second location on the touch screen.

10. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen comprises:

a touch sensitive display area constructed to display information corresponding to the input data signals and to provide data signals corresponding to the user input; and

a touch sensitive area positioned adjacent the display area constructed to be unable to display information and constructed to provide data signals corresponding to the user input.

11. The computer of claim 10 wherein the touch sensitive area of the touch screen is positioned below the display area of the touch screen.

12. The computer of claim 1 wherein the second location is within a predetermined distance of a side or bottom edge of the touch screen, and wherein the first location comprises all locations of the touch screen other than the first location.

13. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is to the left of the contact area if the contact area is on the left side of the touch screen, and to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is to the right of the contact area if the contact area is on the right side of the touch screen.

14. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is downwardly to the left of the contact area if the contact area is within a predetermined distance of a bottom edge of the touch screen on the left side of the touch screen, and to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is to the right of the contact area if the contact area is within a predetermined distance of a bottom edge of the touch screen on the right side of the touch screen.

15. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is above the contact area.

16. The computer of claim 1 wherein the touch screen driver is constructed to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is to the left of the contact area if the contact area is on the left side of the touch screen and the contact area is not moving to the right past a location where the registered user input is on the right side of the touch screen, and to register the user input at a position relative to the contact area that is to the right of the contact area if the contact area is on the right side of the touch screen and the contact area is not moving to the left past a location where the registered user input is on the left side of the touch screen.

18. The program storage medium of claim 17 wherein the first position comprises the center of the area of contact.

20. The program storage medium of claim 19 wherein the software program stored in the program storage medium, when executed by the microprocessor, further causes the touch screen to perform the acts comprising:

if the contact area is within a third predetermined distance of a bottom edge of the touch screen, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the bottom edge and one of the right or left edges of the touch screen; and

registering the position of the displayed cursor as a user input.

21. The program storage medium of claim 20 wherein the first, second, and third predetermined distances are equal to each other.

22. The program storage medium of claim 19 wherein the act of displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward one of the right or left edges of the touch screen comprises:

if the contact area is on the left hand side of the touch screen, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area to the left and toward a bottom edge of the touch screen; and

if the contact area is on the right hand side of the touch screen, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area to the right and toward a bottom edge of the touch screen.

23. The program storage medium of claim 19 wherein:

the act of displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the left edge of touch screen comprises displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the left edge of touch screen only if the contact area is within the first predetermined distance of the left edge of the touch screen and the contact area is not moving to the right past a location where the cursor would be on the right side of the touch screen, and

the act of displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the right edge of touch screen comprises displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the right edge of touch screen only if the contact area is within the second predetermined distance of the right edge of the touch screen and the contact area is not moving to the left past a location where the cursor would be on the left side of the touch screen.

24. The program storage medium of claim 19 wherein the touch screen comprises a touch sensitive display area and a display incapable touch sensitive area, and wherein the software program stored in the program storage medium, when executed by the microprocessor, further causes the touch screen to display the cursor on the display area of the screen adjacent the touch sensitive area by positioning the contact area on the touch sensitive area adjacent the display area.

17. In a computer system having a microprocessor and a touch screen in which a user contacts the screen over a contact area, a program storage medium storing a software program that, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the touch screen to perform the acts comprising:

determining a position of the contact area on the touch screen;

if the contact area is spaced apart from edges of the touch screen by more than a predetermined distance, registering a user input at a first position within the area of contact; and

if the contact area is within the predetermined distance of an edge of the touch screen, registering a user input at a position within the area of contact that is offset from the first position toward an edge that is closest to the area of contact.

19. In a computer system having a microprocessor and a touch screen in which the user contacts the screen over a contact area, a program storage medium storing a software program that, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the touch screen to perform the acts comprising:

determining a position of the contact area on the touch screen;

if the contact area is spaced apart from left and right edges of the touch screen by more than respective first and second predetermined distances, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward a top edge of touch screen;

if the contact area is within the first predetermined distance of the left edge of the touch screen, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the left edge of touch screen; and

if the contact area is within the second predetermined distance of the right edge of the touch screen, displaying a cursor on the screen at a position offset from the contact area toward the right edge of touch screen.