OPERATING A DEVICE HAVING A TOUCH-SCREEN DISPLAY

• US 20140028589A1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reilly, Tristram T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,933,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for operating an electronic device having a touch screen display for displaying information. Embodiments include generating a designated location on the touch screen display for receiving a continuous touch contact. Based on detecting a continuous touch contact at the designated location, information is displayed on the touch screen. Based on detecting an absence of a continuous touch contact at the designated location on the touch screen display, the display of information is disabled.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a touch screen display for displaying information, the method comprising:

designating location on the touch screen display for receiving a continuous touch contact;

based on detecting a continuous touch contact at the designated location, displaying information on the touch screen; and

based on detecting an absence of a continuous touch contact at the designated location on the touch screen display, disabling the display of information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the display of information places the device into a protected state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the placing of the device into a protected state further comprises encrypting data contained in the device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting by a user of a location on the touch screen as the designated location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising reserving a screen address associated with a designated screen location and communicating the address to operating system software of the device to prevent display of information other than that relating to the designated screen location at the screen address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is displayed as a blank portion of the touch screen display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is an overlay area over an icon displayed on the touch screen display and wherein the icon is displayed at a random location on the touch screen display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is indicated by a designated icon selected by the user.

9. An electronic device having a touch screen display for displaying information and receiving touch input, the device comprising a processor configured to:

designating a location on the touch screen display for receiving a continuous touch contact;

based on detecting a continuous touch contact at the designated location, display information on the touch screen; and

based on detecting an absence of a continuous touch contact at the designated location on the touch screen display, disable the display of information.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein causing the display of information to be disabled further causes the device to be placed into a protected state.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the placing of the device into a protected state comprises an encryption component encrypting data contained in the device.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to reserve a screen address for preventing display of information other than that relating to the designated screen location at the screen address.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the designated location is displayed as a blank portion of the touch screen display.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the designated location is an overlay area over an icon displayed on the touch screen display and wherein the icon is displayed at a random location on the touch screen display.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the designated location is indicated by a designated icon.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the icon comprises a graphic selected by the user.

17. A computer program product for operating an electronic device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured for;

designating a location on a touch screen display for receiving a continuous touch contact;

based on detecting a continuous touch contact at the designated location, displaying information on the touch screen; and

based on detecting an absence of a continuous touch contact at the designated location on the touch screen display, disabling the display of information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein disabling the display of information places the device into a protected state.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the placing of the device into a protected state further comprises encrypting data contained in the device.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for selecting by a user of a location on the touch screen as the designated location.