User Interface and Method for Locating an Interactive Element Associated with a Touch Sensitive Interface

• US 20120169620A1
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bowler, Roland K. II
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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

A user interface for an electronic device and method for locating an interactive element having a position along an interactive surface of a touch sensitive interface of an electronic device are provided. The user interface has a touch sensitive interface, which includes one or more interactive elements having a position along an interactive surface, and a surface sensor, the surface sensor being adapted for receiving from a user a pattern of interaction with the touch sensitive interface at a location along the interactive surface. The user interface further includes an alert device and a controller. The controller includes a user interaction detection module, which is adapted for detecting the location of the pattern of interaction and comparing the location to the position of the one or more interactive elements. The controller further includes a feedback module, which is adapted for actuating the alert device for producing a user perceivable alert signal having a level of alert which is a function of the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of a closest one of the one or more interactive elements, wherein as the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of the closest one of the one or more interactive elements changes, the level of the alert changes.

Claims

1. A user interface for an electronic device comprising:

a touch sensitive interface including one or more interactive elements having a position along an interactive surface, and a surface sensor, the surface sensor being adapted for receiving from a user a pattern of interaction with the touch sensitive interface at a location along the interactive surface;

an alert device; and

a controller including

a user interaction detection module adapted for detecting the location of the pattern of interaction and comparing the location to the position of the one or more interactive elements; and

a feedback module adapted for actuating the alert device for producing a user perceivable alert signal having a level of alert which is a function of the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of a closest one of the one or more interactive elements, wherein as the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of the closest one of the one or more interactive elements changes, the level of the alert changes.

2. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive interface is a touch sensitive display.

3. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the one or more interactive elements include an image of a virtual key visually represented along the interactive surface via the touch sensitive display.

4. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pattern of interaction includes at least one of a portion of a finger of the user or a tip of a stylus.

5. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more interactive elements includes a speaker.

6. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the pattern of interaction includes a shape of at least a portion of an ear of the user placed adjacent to the touch sensitive interface.

7. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more interactive elements includes a microphone.

8. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the pattern of interaction includes a shape of at least a portion of a face of the user placed adjacent to the touch sensitive interface.

9. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller additionally includes a learning module, which is adapted for detecting the pattern of interaction with the touch sensitive interface received from the user, when the user indicates that the location of the pattern of interaction coincides with the position of a corresponding one of the one or more interactive elements.

10. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the alert device produces an audible alert.

11. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the alert device produces a vibrational alert.

12. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the level of the alert increases as the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of the closest one of the one or more interactive elements increases.

13. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the level of the alert decreases as the distance between the location of the pattern of interaction and the position of the closest one of the one or more interactive elements increases.

14. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a second user perceivable alert signal, is actuated when the location of the pattern of interaction coincides with the position of the closest one of the one or more interactive elements.

15. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the second user perceivable alert signal is produced by the alert device.

16. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the second user perceivable alert signal is produced by a second alert device.

17. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the second user perceivable alert signal is an audible alert.

18. A user interface for an electronic device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a user actuatable element, which when activated is adapted to select a particular one of the one or more interactive elements with which the detected location of the pattern of interaction coincides.

19. A method of locating an interactive element positioned on an interactive surface of a touch sensitive interface, the method comprising:

detecting a location of user interaction with the touch sensitive interface relative to the position of the interactive element;

providing a user perceivable signal having a characteristic that is a function of a distance between the location of the user interaction with the touch sensitive interface and the position of the interactive element;

detecting a change in the location of the user interaction with the touch sensitive interface relative to the position of the interactive element; and

changing the characteristic of the user perceivable signal based upon the change in distance between the location of the user interaction with the touch sensitive interface and the position of the interactive element.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising discontinuing the production of the user perceivable signal and producing a second user perceivable signal when the location of the user interaction with the touch sensitive interface coincides with the position of the interactive element.