LATERAL PRESSURE SENSORS FOR TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20090160781A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Andrew, Golding, Mike, Balm, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

An interactive touch screen and method of manipulating an image on an interactive touch screen. The device includes a user interface screen, an interactive image in the user interface screen, at least one pressure sensor positioned adjacent a periphery of the user interface screen, and a pressure sensitive widget responsive to pressure in a direction of said at least one pressure sensor for manipulating the image in a direction of applied pressure. The method includes providing at least one pressure sensor adjacent a periphery of the interactive touch screen, providing a widget in the interactive touch screen without obscuring the image, applying directional pressure to the widget for activating at least one sensor and without sliding the widget in the interactive touch screen, and moving the image in a direction of applied pressure.

Claims

1. An interactive touch screen comprising:

a user interface screen;

an interactive image in said user interface screen;

at least one pressure sensor positioned adjacent a periphery of the user interface screen; and

a pressure sensitive widget responsive to directional pressure, thereby activating the at least one pressure sensor and manipulating the image in a direction of applied pressure.

2. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive widget is activated without obscuring the display.

3. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive widget is laterally stationary.

4. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a cursor.

5. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein the image comprises a scrollable file.

6. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein a force applied to the widget directly corresponds to speed of movement of the image on the display.

7. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein at least four pressure sensors are positioned adjacent the periphery of the display.

8. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein at least eight pressure sensors are positioned adjacent the periphery of the display.

9. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein actuation of the widget in a direction of the at least one pressure sensor moves the image in a corresponding direction.

10. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein actuation of the widget in a direction between two pressure sensors activates both pressure sensors.

11. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein actuation of widget in a direction of a single pressure sensor activates only that pressure sensor.

12. The interactive touch screen of claim 1, wherein the widget is electrically connected to the at least one pressure sensor and image through the display.

13. A method of manipulating an image on an interactive user screen, the method comprising:

providing at least one pressure sensor adjacent a periphery of the interactive user screen;

providing a widget in the interactive user screen without obscuring the image;

applying directional pressure to the widget for activating at least one sensor and without sliding the widget in the interactive user screen; and

moving the image in a direction of applied pressure.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing at least four pressure sensors adjacent the periphery of the interactive user screen.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing at least eight pressure sensors adjacent the periphery of the interactive user screen.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned at a lateral edge of the interactive user screen surface.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising positioning the widget within a viewable area of the interactive user screen without obscuring the image.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the widget outside a viewable image area of the interactive user screen.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting a pressure applied to said widget and correspondingly adjusting a speed of movement of the image on the display.