SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PRESENT MULTIPLE FRAMES ON A TOUCH SCREEN

• US 20120176322A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Karmi, Yair, Floyd, Philip D., Worthington, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of presenting multiple frames on a touch screen is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes detecting multiple touch locations on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least an activation time. The method also includes splitting a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame based on the multiple touch locations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting simultaneous multiple touch locations on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least an activation time; and

splitting a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are detected for at least the activation time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least a horizontal split option and a vertical split option to a user via the touch screen after detection of the simultaneous multiple touch locations for at least the activation time, wherein a split between the first frame and the second frame is a horizontal split if the user selects the horizontal split option, and wherein the split between the first frame and the second frame is a vertical split if the user selects the vertical split option.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the simultaneous multiple touch locations indicate a desire to form the first frame and the second frame before splitting the display area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the simultaneous multiple touch locations indicate the desire to form the first frame and the second frame comprises comparing a ratio of a length of a region bounding the multiple touch locations and a width of the region to a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to detect the simultaneous multiple touch locations if a user places a portion of a hand across at least a portion of the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a split between the first frame and the second frame extends along a path between endmost contact points of the simultaneous multiple touch locations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the portion of the hand comprises an edge of the hand.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the portion of the hand comprises a portion of at least one finger.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the portion of the hand comprises a portion of a thumb.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous multiple touch locations comprise a first touch location at a first edge of the touch screen, and wherein a split between the first frame and the second frame extends perpendicularly from the first edge at the first touch location to a second edge of the touch screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous multiple touch locations comprise a first touch location near a first edge of the touch screen and a second touch location near a second edge of the touch screen opposite to the first edge.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a split between the first frame and the second frame extends perpendicular to the first edge beginning along the first edge at a location substantially equidistant between the first touch location and the second touch location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a first instance of an application is active in the display area before the split, and wherein the method further comprises activating a second instance of the application in the second frame in response to detecting the simultaneous multiple touch locations for at least the activation time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein an instance of an application is active in the display area before the split, and wherein the method further comprises maintaining the application in the first frame in response to detecting the simultaneous multiple touch locations for at least the activation time and displaying at least a portion of a home screen in the second frame in response to detecting the simultaneous multiple touch locations for at least the activation time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a split between the first frame and the second frame is horizontal along a line determined from the simultaneous multiple touch locations if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are substantially horizontal, wherein the split is vertical along the line if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are substantially vertical, and wherein the split is at an angle along the line if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are not substantially horizontal or substantially vertical.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch screen includes a three-dimensional (3D) display and wherein splitting the display area of the touch screen includes creating a split in 3D space that is displayed by the touch screen.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the 3D space is split along a surface according to a user touch location or a user movement detected via 3D touch sensing.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a touch screen coupled to the processor;

wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

detect simultaneous multiple touch locations on the touch screen for at least an activation time; and

split a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame in response to detection of the simultaneous multiple touch locations for at least the activation time.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect contact at the multiple touch locations if a user places a portion of a hand across at least a portion of the touch screen.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect contact at the multiple touch locations if a user touches a first touch location with a first finger and touches a second touch location with a second finger.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the activation time is over a half a second.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the activation time is an adjustable setting of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine whether the simultaneous multiple touch locations indicate a desire to form the first frame and the second frame before splitting the display area.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the touch screen includes a three-dimensional (3D) display and wherein the display area of the touch screen is split by creating a split in 3D space that is displayed by the touch screen.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

code for detecting simultaneous multiple touch locations on a touch screen for at least an activation time; and

code for splitting a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are detected for at least the activation time.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising code for displaying at least a horizontal split option and a vertical split option via the touch screen after detection of the multiple touch locations for at least the activation time.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising code for displaying a cancel option via the touch screen after detection of the multiple touch locations for at least the activation time.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting simultaneous multiple touch locations on a touch screen of an electronic device for at least an activation time; and

means for splitting a display area of the touch screen into a first frame and a second frame if the simultaneous multiple touch locations are detected for at least the activation time.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for detecting the simultaneous multiple touch locations is configured to detect the simultaneous multiple touch locations if a user places a portion of a hand across at least a portion of the touch screen.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the activation time is over a half a second.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising the touch screen.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a mobile phone, a music player, a video player, a gaming unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a book reader, and a camera.