Touch Screen Apparatus And Methods

• US 20080303787A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patent Category Corporation
• Original Assignee: Patent Category Corporation
• Inventors: Zheng, Yu "Brian"
• Application Number:
  US12/124,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303787A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A touch screen computing apparatus, methods, and software product are provided. In one embodiment, an the computing apparatus provides a plurality of regions on a touch screen that are mapped to functions. In some embodiments, the regions include a keyboard region, a game control region, a mouse region and a stylus region. In some embodiments, the regions are configurable by the processor and mapped with different functionality. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

Claims

16. A computing apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a touch sensitive display; and

a storage media the storage media comprising a set of processor executable instructions sufficient that, when executed by the processor, configure the computing apparatus to illuminate discrete regions on the display, the regions comprising;

a keyboard region, a stylus sensitive region, and a mouse region.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to map a character set to discrete portions of the keyboard region.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the character set is compliant with the American Standard for Information Interchange character set.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to configure the accessory to record data related to an interaction with a stylus in the stylus sensitive region.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the discrete regions further comprise a game control region and the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate discrete positions of the game control region and to map a plurality of controls to discrete portions of the game control region.

21. The computing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controls are selected from a group consisting of directional controls, speed controls, and push button controls.

22. The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate the mouse control region and record data related to interaction with the mouse control region.

23. A method of providing interaction with a computing apparatus comprising:

illuminating discrete regions on a touch sensitive display, the touch sensitive display mounted on a housing, the housing comprising a memory, the discrete regions comprising a keyboard region, a stylus sensitive region, and a mouse region.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising mapping a character set to discrete portions of the keyboard region, the housing further comprising a communications transceiver the method further comprising transmitting, from the communications transceiver a character mapped to a specific discrete region when the discrete region is activated.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the character set is compliant with the American Standard for Information Interchange character set.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising recording data related to an interaction with a stylus in the stylus sensitive region.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising transmitting the data from the transceiver.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the discrete regions further comprise a game control region and the method further comprises illuminating discrete portions of the game control region and mapping a plurality of controls to discrete portions of the game control region.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the controls are selected from a group consisting of directional controls, speed controls, and push button controls.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising illuminating the mouse control region and recording data related to interaction with the mouse control region.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein further comprising transmitting the data from the transceiver.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the transceiver is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communications transceiver, a wired communications transceiver, an optical communications transceiver, a Universal Serial Bus transceiver, and a RFID transceiver.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the housing further comprises a battery.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the housing further comprises a communication port connected to the communications transceiver and the battery, the communication port configured to provide power to recharge the battery and to send and receive communications signals.

36. The method of claim 23, wherein the housing further comprises a communication port connected to the communications transceiver, the method further comprising providing power from the communications port to the display and providing power from the communications port to the communications transceiver.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the communication port is a Universal Serial Bus port.

35. The method of claim 35, wherein the communications port is a Universal Serial Bus port.

38. A computer implemented method comprising:

providing a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus comprising;

a processor;

a memory; and

a touch sensitive display;

illuminating discrete regions on the display, the regions comprising;

a keyboard region, a stylus sensitive region, and a mouse region.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising mapping a character set to discrete portions of the keyboard region and to configure the accessory to transmit, from the transceiver, a character mapped to a specific discrete region when a corresponding illuminated discrete region is activated.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the character set is compliant with the American Standard for Information Interchange character set.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising instructions to configuring the accessory to record data related to an interaction with a stylus in the stylus sensitive region.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein the discrete regions further comprise a game control region and the method further comprises illuminating discrete positions of the game control region and mapping a plurality of controls to discrete portions of the game control region.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the controls are selected from a group consisting of directional controls, speed controls, and push button controls.

44. The method of claim 38, further comprising illuminating the mouse control region and recording data related to interaction with the mouse control region.

45. A computer software product comprising:

a machine readable media, the machine readable media containing instructions that when executed by a processor illuminate discrete regions on a touch sensitive display, the regions comprising;

a keyboard region, a stylus sensitive region, and a mouse region.

1. A computing device accessory comprising:

a housing;

a touch sensitive display mounted on the housing;

a communications transceiver; and

a memory contained within the housing and communicating with the touch sensitive display, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by a processor configure the accessory to illuminate discrete regions on the display, the regions comprising;

a keyboard region, a stylus sensitive region, and a mouse region.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to map a character set to discrete portions of the keyboard region and to configure the accessory to transmit, from the transceiver, a character mapped to a specific discrete region when the discrete region is activated.

3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the character set is compliant with the American Standard for Information Interchange character set.

4. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to configure the accessory to record data related to an interaction with a stylus in the stylus sensitive region.

5. The accessory of claim 4, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to transmit the data from the transceiver.

6. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the discrete regions further comprise a game control region and the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate discrete positions of the game control region and to map a plurality of controls to discrete portions of the game control region.

7. The accessory of claim 6, wherein the controls are selected from a group consisting of directional controls, speed controls, and push button controls.

8. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate the mouse control region and record data related to interaction with the mouse control region.

9. The accessory of claim 8 wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to transmit, the data from the transceiver.

10. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communications transceiver, a wired communications transceiver, an optical communications transceiver, a Universal Serial Bus transceiver, and a RFID transceiver.

11. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising a battery within the accessory providing power to the accessory.

12. The accessory of claim 11, further comprising a communication port connected to the communications transceiver and the battery, the communication port configured to provide power to recharge the battery and to send and receive communications signals.

13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein the communications port is a Universal Serial Bus port.

14. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising a communication port connected to the communications transceiver, the communication port configured to provide power to the accessory and to send and receive communications signals.

15. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the communication port is a Universal Serial Bus port.

46. The software product of claim 45, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to map a character set to discrete portions of the keyboard region.

47. The software product of claim 46, wherein the touch sensitive display is connected to a communications transceiver, the instructions further comprising instructions to configure the transceiver to transmit a character mapped to a specific discrete region when the discrete region is activated.

48. The software product of claim 47, wherein the transceiver is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communications transceiver, a wired communications transceiver, an optical communications transceiver, a Universal Serial Bus transceiver, and a RFID transceiver.

49. The software product of claim 45, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to record data related to an interaction with a stylus in the stylus sensitive region.

50. The software product of claim 48, wherein the touch sensitive display is connected to a communications transceiver, the instructions further comprising instructions to transmit the data from the transceiver.

51. The software product of claim 50, wherein the transceiver is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communications transceiver, a wired communications transceiver, an optical communications transceiver, a Universal Serial Bus transceiver, and a RFID transceiver.

52. The software product of claim 45, wherein the discrete regions further comprise a game control region and the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate discrete positions of the game control region and to map a plurality of controls to discrete portions of the game control region.

53. The software product of claim 52, wherein the controls are selected from a group consisting of directional controls, speed controls, and push button controls.

54. The software product of claim 45, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to illuminate the mouse control region and record data related to interaction with the mouse control region.

55. The software product of claim 54, wherein the touch sensitive display is connected to a communications transceiver, the instructions further comprising instructions to transmit the data from the transceiver.

56. The software product of claim 55, wherein the transceiver is selected from a group consisting of a wireless communications transceiver, a wired communications transceiver, an optical communications transceiver, a Universal Serial Bus transceiver, and a RFID transceiver.

48-1. The software product of claim 46, wherein the character set is compliant with the American Standard for Information Interchange character set.