ELECTRONIC DEVICE CAPABLE OF EXECUTING COMMANDS THEREIN AND METHOD FOR EXECUTING COMMANDS IN THE SAME

• US 20080246742A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: WANG, John C., WANG, Yi Shen, WANG, Hui Wen
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for executing commands in an electronic device having a touch sensing element. A stylus or finger is used to touch the touch sensing element and move through several sensing areas on the touch sensing element. A responsive signal is generated by the touch sensing element according to the touched sensing areas. A processor then executes a corresponding command in accordance with the responsive signal.

Claims

1. A method for executing commands in an electronic device having a touch sensing element, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the method comprising:

detecting at least one touch on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;

when the at least one touch is detected and moved through at least two of the sensing areas, generating a responsive signal corresponding to the at least two of the sensing areas by the touch sensing element; and

executing a command in accordance with the responsive signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one touch is two successive touches on the touch surface, and the responsive signal is corresponding to the sensing areas through which the two successive touches are moved.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing areas are arranged in a 3×

3 array.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device further has an execution button, the method further comprises:

terminating the at least one touch on the touch surface;

pressing the execution button to start the executing step after the terminating step.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

terminating the at least one touch on the touch surface;

starting the executing step after finishing the terminating step for a predetermined period of time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device operates in either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input numbers;

and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input the command.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprises:

pressing the switch button; and

switching the electronic device between the dial mode and command input mode after the pressing step.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel, the method further comprises:

displaying the trace of the movement of the at least one touch on the touch panel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch pad and the electronic device further comprises a plurality of light-emitting devices respectively disposed below the sensing areas, the method further comprises:

lighting up the light-emitting devices disposed below the at least two of the sensing areas.

10. A method for executing commands in an electronic device having a touch sensing element, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the method comprising:

detecting a first touch on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;

when the first touch is detected and moved through at least two of the sensing areas, generating a first responsive signal corresponding to the at least two of the sensing areas by the touch sensing element;

detecting by the touch sensing element whether a second touch occurs on the touch surface within a predetermined period of time after the first touch on the touch surface is terminated;

if the second touch is not detected, executing a first command in accordance with the first responsive signal; and

if the second touch is detected and moved through at least two of the sensing areas, generating by the touch sensing element a second responsive signal corresponding to the at least two of the sensing areas and executing a second command in accordance with the first and second responsive signals.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electronic device operates n either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input numbers;

and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input at least one of the first command and second command.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprises:

pressing the switch button; and

switching the electronic device between the dial mode and command input mode after the pressing step.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensing areas are arranged in a 3×

3 array and the 3×

3 sensing areas are defined, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, a eighth sensing area and a ninth sensing area respectively; and

when the first touch is moved through the third sensing area, the fifth sensing areas and the seventh sensing area and the second touch is moved through the first sensing area, the fifth sensing areas and the ninth sensing area, the command to be executed is a “

cancel”

command.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch sensing element having a touch surface and a plurality of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the touch sensing element adapted to detect a touch on the touch surface and to generate a responsive signal corresponding to the touch, wherein the touch is moved through at least two of the sensing areas; and

a processor adapted to execute a command in accordance with the responsive signal.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sensing areas are arranged in a 3×

3 array.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the 3×

3 sensing areas are labeled, from left to right and then from top to bottom, with numbers “

1”

, “

2”

, “

3”

, “

4”

, “

5”

, “

6”

, “

7”

, “

8” and

“

9”

respectively.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

an execution button, wherein when the execution button is pressed, the processor starts executing the command.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch pad.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices respectively disposed below the sensing areas.