APPARATUS, METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND USER INTERFACE

• US 20120293436A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zhao, Anping, Riekkola, Erkki, Dolenc, Andre
• Application Number:
  US13/519,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An apparatus, method, computer program and user interface, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor: and at least one memory including computer program code; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to; provide an active area of a touch sensitive display and an inactive area of the touch sensitive display such that in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the active area, a first function is performed and in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area the first function is not performed; and provide a display area of the touch sensitive display configured to display content where the display area overlaps at least a portion of the active area and the inactive area, wherein the location of the active area is invariant with respect to performance of the first function.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

provide an active area of a touch sensitive display and an inactive area of the touch sensitive display such that in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the active area, a first function is performed and in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area the first function is not performed; and

provide a display area of the touch sensitive display configured to display content where the display area overlaps at least a portion of the active area and the inactive area;

wherein the location of the active area is invariant with respect to performance of the first function.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display area comprises the entire touch sensitive display.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the content displayed in the display area does not provide an indication of the first function.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

enable a second function to be performed in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area of the touch sensitive display.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

provide a further active area of the touch sensitive display such that in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the further active area a third function is performed.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the third function is the reverse of the first function.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises changing the scale of the content displayed in the display area.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the functions comprises scrolling though the content displayed in the display area.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the function performed depends upon the type of user input detected.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detected user input lasts for at least a predetermined amount of time.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the active areas comprise an edge portion of the touch sensitive display.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the active areas comprise a corner of the touch sensitive display.

13. A method comprising;

configuring a touch sensitive display to provide an active area of the touch sensitive display and an inactive area of the touch sensitive display;

configuring a touch sensitive display to provide a display area of the touch sensitive display for displaying content where the display area overlaps at least a portion of the active area and the inactive area;

detecting a user input and determining whether the user input began in the active area or the inactive area wherein in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the active area, a first function is performed and in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area the first function is not performed; and

wherein the location of the active area is invariant with respect to performance of the first function.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the display area comprises the entire touch sensitive display.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the content displayed in the display area does not provide an indication of the first function.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13 comprising enabling a second function to be performed in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area of the touch sensitive display.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13 enabling a further active area of the touch sensitive display to be provided such that in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the further active area a third function is performed.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the third function is the reverse of the first function.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least one of the functions comprises changing the scale of the content displayed in the display area.

20-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A physical entity embodying a computer program comprising computer program instruction means configured to control an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a touch sensitive display and at least one processor the program instructions enabling, when loaded into the at least one processor;

configuring the touch sensitive display to provide an active area of the touch sensitive display and an inactive area of the touch sensitive display;

configuring the touch sensitive display to provide a display area of the touch sensitive display configured to display content where the display area overlaps at least a portion of the active area and the inactive area;

detecting a user input and determining whether the user input began in the active area or the inactive area wherein in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the active area, a first function is performed and in response to the detection of a user input beginning in the inactive area the first function is not performed; and

wherein the location of the active area is invariant with respect to performance of the first function.

26-32. -32. (canceled)