APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING A TRIGGER MECHANISM

• US 20150324041A1
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Varley, Jordan K., Newman, Nader A., Scott, Bradley M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10386 the interrogation device being of the portable or hand-handheld type, e.g. incorporated in ubiquitous hand-held devices such as PDA or mobile phone, or in the form of a portable dedicated RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1091 means to wake up the scanner from a sleep mode, e.g. using an acceleration sensor indicating that the scanner is being picked up by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for activating a trigger mechanism at a data capture device having a touch display, and a data capture module is provided. In operation, a first region associated with a first application and an input region is provided on the touch display. An input is received at the device, including at least a touch sensor input from the touch display. Based on the input, an obtained input pattern may be identified. The identified input pattern may include at least one of a spatial pattern, a temporal pattern, a touch size and a hard-tap. When the identifying is successful, either an input may be provided to the first application or the trigger mechanism may be activated to initiate a data capture at the data capture module. Alternatively, when the identifying is successful, an operation associated with the first application may be performed or a mode of operation of the data capture device may be changed to a second mode.

Claims

1. A method of activating a trigger mechanism at a data capture device having a touch display, and a data capture module, the method comprising:

providing, on the touch display, a first region associated with a first application and an input region;

receiving, at the data capture device, an input comprising at least a touch sensor input from the touch display;

identifying, based on the input, an obtained input pattern comprising at least one of a spatial pattern, a temporal pattern, a touch size and a hard-tap; and

when the identifying is successful, performing one of;

providing an application input to the first application;

activating the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module;

performing an operation associated with the first application; and

changing a mode of operation of the data capture device to a second mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein activating the trigger mechanism is performed as a consequence of successfully identifying the obtained input pattern, the method further comprising:

providing the captured data to the first application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the input originates at the input region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the input is received from the input region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying further comprises:

maintaining, in a device memory, a predefined pattern;

determining, based on the input, the obtained input pattern; and

matching the obtained input pattern to the predefined pattern.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the mode of operation to the second mode is performed as a consequence of successfully identifying the obtained input pattern, the method further comprising:

when the data capture device is in the second mode of operation;

receiving, at the data capture device, a second input comprising at least a touch sensor input from the touch display;

identifying, based on the second input, a second input pattern comprising at least one of a spatial pattern, a temporal pattern, a touch size and a hard-tap;

when the identifying based on second input is unsuccessful activating the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module; and

when the identifying based on second input is successful activating the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module changing the mode of operation of the data capture device from the second mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the input pattern comprises at least a touch size pattern and the identifying further comprises:

maintaining, in a memory of the device, a predefined touch size;

determining, based on the input, a touch size indicator; and

comparing the touch size indicator to the predefined touch size.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises an accelerometer and wherein the receiving the input further comprises:

receiving, from the accelerometer, a sensor value;

and wherein the input pattern is a hard-tap pattern and the identifying further comprises;

maintaining, in a memory of the device, a predefined sensor value;

determining, based on the input, the sensor value; and

comparing the sensor value to the predefined sensor value.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the first region further comprises an input area associated with the first application and wherein providing the captured data to the first application further comprises providing the captured data to the input area.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

processing the captured data prior to providing the captured data to the input area.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the first region further comprises a plurality of input areas associated with the first application, the plurality of input areas arranged for receiving input in a predetermined order and wherein providing the captured data to the first application further comprises providing the captured data to a next one of the plurality of input areas to receive input based on the predetermined order.

12. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the input to the first application when the identifying fails.

13. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

when the identifying fails, providing an application input to the first application, the, the application input comprising an input location, the input location being based on a location, at the touch display, of the input other than the originating location of the input.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first region and the input region is translucent.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the input region is invisible.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein an indication is provided at the touch display indicating the presence of the input region.

17. A data capture device comprising:

a processor;

a touch display, a data capture module and a trigger mechanism connected to the processor, the processor operating to;

provide, on the touch display, a first region associated with a first application and an input region;

receive, at the data capture device, an input comprising at least a touch sensor input from the touch display;

identify, based on the input, an obtained input pattern comprising at least one of a spatial pattern, a temporal pattern, a touch size and a hard-tap; and

when the identifying is successful, perform one of;

provide an application input to the first application;

activate the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module;

performing an operation associated with the first application; and

changing a mode of operation of the data capture device to a second mode.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein activating the trigger mechanism is performed as a consequence of successfully identifying the obtained input pattern and the processor further operates to:

provide the captured data to the first application.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the input originates at the input region.

20. The device of claim 17 wherein changing the mode of operation to the second mode is performed as a consequence of successfully identifying the obtained input pattern, the processor further operating to:

when the data capture device is in the second mode of operation;

receive, at the data capture device, a second input comprising at least a touch sensor input from the touch display;

identify, based on the second input, a second input pattern comprising at least one of a spatial pattern, a temporal pattern, a touch size and a hard-tap;

when the identifying based on second input is unsuccessful activate the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module; and

when the identifying based on second input is successful activate the trigger mechanism to initiate a data capture at the data capture module changing the mode of operation of the data capture device from the second mode.