PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING A TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20110084912A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: ALMALKI, Nazih
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A method includes detecting a touch on a first touch-sensitive display, applying force by an actuator on a touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch, and storing a first indicator of depression simulation for the first touch.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch on a touch-sensitive display;

applying force by an actuator on a touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch; and

storing a first indicator of depression simulation for the first touch.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing an indicator comprises setting a flag associated with the first touch.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining a force applied by the first touch.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein applying the force is carried out in response to a determination that the force applied by the first touch exceeds a first threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising determining whether the force applied by the first touch exceeds a second threshold after applying the force.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising changing the first indicator when the force applied by the first touch is determined to be equal to or less than the second threshold.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein changing the first indicator comprises clearing the first indicator.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein changing the first indicator comprises clearing a flag associated with the first touch.

9. The method according to claim 6, comprising applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch when the force applied by the first touch is determined to be less than the second threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch when the first touch is no longer detected.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising changing the first indicator when the first touch is no longer detected.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, applying force, by the actuator, on the touch-sensitive display, to simulate depression of a switch, and storing a second indicator of depression simulation for the second touch.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein applying force is carried out when a force applied by the first touch exceeds a first threshold and repeated when a force applied by the second touch exceeds the first threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising, for each of the first touch and the second touch, applying force, by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display, to simulate release of the switch when the force applied by the respective touch is less than a second threshold.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising changing the first indicator when the force applied by the first touch is equal to or less than the second threshold and changing the second indicator when the force applied by the second touch is less than the second threshold.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

an actuator operable to apply force on the touch-sensitive display;

memory; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory, the actuator and the touch-sensitive display to detect a touch on a first touch-sensitive display and to cause the actuator to apply force by on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch, and store a first indicator of depression simulation for the first touch.