Method And System For Operating Portable Devices

• US 20140152593A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Chih-Hung, Lin, Po-Wei, Lee, Chien-Ju, Hsu, Chien-Chih
• Application Number:
  US14/048,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152593A1
• 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 3/04886 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 method for providing a one-hand user interface for a portable device with a touch screen including defining a one-hand operation plane on the touch screen based on a holding location of the portable device when operated by a user; enabling a one-hand operation mode; and receiving user inputs through the one-hand operation plane for controlling the portable device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a one-hand user interface for a portable device with a touch screen, comprising:

defining a one-hand operation plane on the touch screen based on a holding location of the portable device when operated by a user;

enabling a one-hand operation mode; and

receiving user inputs through the one-hand operation plane for controlling the portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-hand operation mode includes a one-hand GUI operation mode or a one-hand touchpad operation mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising switching between the one-hand touchpad operation mode and the one-hand GUI operation mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining of the one-hand operation plane comprises defining a location of the one-hand operation plane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining of the one-hand operation plane comprises defining a size of the one-hand operation plane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining of the one-hand operation plane comprises:

detecting a sliding motion of a finger over the touch screen; and

defining the one-hand operation plane based on the detected sliding motion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a new holding location of the portable device; and

defining a new location of the one-hand operation plane on the touch screen corresponding to the detected new holding location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device operates in a one-hand graphics user interface (GUI) operation mode after the activating of the one-hand operation, and wherein, in the one-hand GUI operation mode, at least one GUI is displayed within the one-hand operation plane to allow the user to operate the portable device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one GUI includes at least one of a graphical icon or a virtual keypad.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one GUI corresponds to a program being executed when the one-hand operation mode is enabled or after the one-hand operation mode is enabled.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device operates in a one-hand touchpad operation mode after the enabling of the one-hand operation mode, and wherein, in the one-hand touchpad operation mode, the one-hand operation plane functions as a touchpad.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling a touch function of portions of the touch screen not within the one-hand operation plane after the one-hand operation plane is defined, so that the disabled portions of the touch screen do not respond to a press or a touch.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting at least one parameter for the one-hand operation mode.

14. A portable device system, comprising:

a touch screen;

a memory that stores at least one parameter for a one-hand operation mode; and

a processor coupled to the touch screen and the memory, the processor being configured to;

define a portion of the touch screen as a one-hand operation plane based on a holding location of the portable device system;

enable a one-hand operation mode based on the at least one parameter for the one-hand operation; and

receive user inputs through the one-hand operation plane for operating the portable device system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one-hand operation mode includes a one-hand GUI operation mode or a one-hand touchpad operation mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to switch the portable device system between the one-hand touchpad operation mode and the one-hand GUI operation mode.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor defines the one-hand operation plane by defining at least one of a size or a location of the one-hand operation plane.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor detects a sliding motion of a finger over the touch screen and defines the one-hand operation plane based on the detected sliding motion.

19. The system of claim 14, the processor is further configured to detect a new holding location of the portable device system and define a new location of the one-hand operation plane on the touch screen corresponding to the detected new holding location.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the portable device operates in a one-hand graphics user interface (GUI) operation mode after the enabling of the one-hand operation mode, and wherein, in the one-hand GUI operation mode, at least one GUI is displayed within the one-hand operation plane to allow the user to operate the portable device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one GUI includes at least one of a graphical icon or a virtual keypad.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the portable device operates in a one-hand touchpad operation mode after the enabling of the one-hand operation mode, and wherein, in the one-hand touchpad operation mode, the one-hand operation plane functions as a touchpad and is configured to detect motions of a finger for controlling movements of a cursor displayed on the touch screen.

23. The system of claim 14, the processor is further configured to disable a touch function of portions of the touch screen not within the one-hand operation plane after the one-hand operation plane is defined, so that the disabled portions of the touch screen do not respond to a press or touch.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to set at least one parameter for the one-hand operation mode.

25. The system of claim 14, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting the holding location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the sensor is configured to generate a pressure signal representing a pressure applied to the touch screen by the user; and

the processor is further configured to determine, based on the pressure signal,

whether the finger of the user touches a new location of the touch screen.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the pressure signal, whether a change in the pressure exceeds a threshold value, and adjust the location of the one-hand operation plane corresponding to the new location when the change in the pressure exceeds the threshold value.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the sensor, whether the pressure at the new location is maintained for at least a period of time and adjust the location of the one-hand operation plane corresponding to the new location when the pressure at the new location is maintained for at least a period of time.

29. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to receive at least one command for enabling the one-hand operation mode.

30. The system of claim 14, wherein the portable device system is a smart phone or a tablet PC.

31. The system of claim 14, further comprising an orientation sensor configured to detect an orientation of the portable device system, and

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the one-hand operation plane based on the orientation of the portable device system.