Control And Navigation For A Device Implementing a Touch Screen

• US 20090322686A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Craft3
• Original Assignee: Craft3
• Inventors: Jayasinghe, Parakrama
• Application Number:
  US12/145,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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

Described is a method which includes the following steps: detecting an input into a touch screen; detecting the release of the input from the touch screen; calculating an elapsed time between the input and the release of the touch screen; and activating a function based on the elapsed time. Described is also a device. The device includes a memory storing a plurality of functions and a corresponding time interval for each function; a tactile input detecting an activation and a release; a timer determining an elapsed amount of time between the activation and the release of the tactile input; and a processor activating one of the plurality of functions based on the elapsed time and the corresponding time interval.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting an input into a touch screen;

detecting the release of the input from the touch screen;

calculating an elapsed time between the input and the release of the touch screen; and

and activating a function based on the elapsed time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the function is a first shortcut that is activated when the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a first interval but less than a second interval

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the function is a second shortcut that is activated when the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the second interval but less than a third interval.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activating the function is further based on a defined plurality of time intervals, the method further comprising:

indicating a passage of each time interval.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the indicating includes one of an audio indication, a tactile indication, and a visual indication.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting the function corresponding to the elapsed time.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

setting each of the timer intervals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch screen includes a predefined area for receiving the input.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the predefined area is a plurality of predefined areas and each predefined area corresponds to a pre-determined set of functions and the corresponding elapsed time.

10. A device, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of functions and a corresponding time interval for each function;

a tactile input detecting an activation and a release;

a timer determining an elapsed amount of time between the activation and the release of the tactile input; and

a processor activating one of the plurality of functions based on the elapsed time and the corresponding time interval.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising:

an indicator that indicates the passage of a time interval.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the indicator is one of an audio component, a tactile feedback component, and a visual feedback component.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the functions are preset by one of a manufacturer and a user.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein the time intervals are defined by at least one of a manufacturer and a user.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the tactile input is a touch screen.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the touch screen displays one or more buttons and the activation is an engaging of the portion of the touch screen corresponding to the one or more buttons.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the touch screen includes a plurality of portions, each portion corresponding to a defined set of the plurality of functions and corresponding time intervals.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein the touch screen is one of a contact touch screen and a heat sensitive touch screen.

19. The device according to claim 10, wherein the processor resets the timer after activating the one of the functions.

20. A system, comprising:

a memory means for storing a plurality of functions and corresponding time intervals.

a tactile means for detecting the activation of a tactile input;

a timer means for determining the elapsed amount of time the tactile input is activated; and

a processor means for activating one of the plurality of functions based on the elapsed time and the corresponding time interval.