Methods and systems for converting touchscreen events into application formatted data

• US 20060077183A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Studt, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US10/961,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method is provided for converting touch screen events into application-specific formatted data. The method includes detecting a touch screen event and identifying an active event zone associated with the touch screen, where the active event zone contains the touch screen event. The method further includes outputting application-specific formatted data based on the active event zone. In accordance with an embodiment, a touch screen system is provided comprising a display screen presenting application-specific information and an application interacting with the display screen to present the application-specific information. The application defines application formatted data sets utilized by the application in connection with the application-specific information. A sensor unit proximate to the touch screen senses a touch screen event that occurs at the touch screen. An event table contains event zones associated with the application-specific information presented on the display screen. A touch screen control module identifies, from the event zones within the event table, an active event zone containing the touch screen event. The touch screen control module outputs, to the application, an application formatted data set based on the active event zone.

Claims

1. A method for converting touch screen events to application formatted data, comprising:

detecting a touch screen event;

identifying an active event zone associated with the touch screen, the active event zone containing the touch screen event; and

outputting application formatted data based on the active event zone.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the touch screen event to a table of event zones to determine at least one potential event zone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a list of potential event zones, from which the active event zone is identified based on a priority ranking.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the touch screen event is inside overlapping first and second event zones or multiple overlapping zones.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an event mode based on the active event zone and a type of the touch screen event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing at least one zone attribute from a plurality of zone attributes based on the active event zone and touch screen event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating multiple zones with the touch screen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning, to an event zone, at least one of a scroll mode, an electronic writing mode, a mouse functionality mode and a button mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said touch screen event comprises at least one of a touch event, a release event, a drag event and a streaming event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said touch screen event comprises event position coordinates relative to a touch screen coordinate system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen coordinate system and a different application coordinate system.

12. A touch screen system, comprising:

a touch screen presenting application-specific information;

an application interacting with said touch screen to present said application-specific information, said application defining application formatted data sets utilized by said application in connection with said application-specific information;

a sensor unit proximate to the touch screen sensing a touch screen event that occurs at said touch screen;

an event table containing event zones associated with said application-specific information presented on said touch screen;

a touch screen control module identifying, from said event zones within said event table, an active event zone containing said touch screen event, said touch screen control module outputting, to the application, an application formatted data set based on said active event zone.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module compares said touch screen event to a table of event zones to determine a list of potential event zones. PCS:

The touch screen control module may be independent or integral with the processor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module identifies said active event zone based on a priority ranking.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module determines whether the touch screen event is inside overlapping first and second event zones or multiple overlapping zones.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module identifies an event mode based on the active event zone and a type of the touch screen event.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module accesses at least one zone mode from a plurality of zone mode records based on the active event zone and touch screen event.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen control module associates multiple zones with the touch screen.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said touch screen event comprises at least one of a touch event, a release event, a drag event and a streaming event.

20. A touch screen control module for converting touch screen events to application formatted data sets, comprising:

a touch screen interface configured to communicate with a touch screen, said touch screen interface receiving touch screen events, each touch screen event being associated with at least one of a touch event, a release event, a drag event and a streaming event, an application interface configured to communicate with a software application, said application defining event zones, event modes associated with said event zones and application formatted data sets associated with said event modes;

zone mode records associating event modes with said event zones; and

an event identifier designating one of said event zones as an active event zone based on said touch screen event, said application interface outputting to said application an application formatted data set associated with said touch screen event based on said active event zone and an event mode associated with said active event zone.

21. The touch screen control module of claim 20, wherein said event identifier includes an event position identifier that identifies a position of said touch screen event and based thereon designates said active event zones.

22. The touch screen control module of claim 20, wherein said event identifier includes an event type identifier that identifies an event type of said touch screen event, said application interface outputting said application formatted data set based on said event type.

23. The touch screen control module of claim 20, further comprising a zone mode table storing said zone mode records.

24. The touch screen control module of claim 20, further comprising a zone position table storing records identifying positions of each of said event zones.

25. The touch screen control module of claim 20, wherein said touch screen interface receives a series of touch and release events and based thereon said application interface outputs a command corresponding to at least one of a single left button mouse click, a double left button mouse click, a right button mouse click, an ASCII character, an ASCII character string, a keyboard function, a calculator functions, a signature, a series of coordinates, and a system functional command.