An Apparatus and Associated Methods

• US 20160048290A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Liang, Yuan, Shijun
• Granted Patent: US 9,830,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An apparatus, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: change the state of a touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state based on detection of a user input made using a user interface of an electronic device, the user interface comprising the touch-sensitive input layer and a physical key layer wherein the respective layers are at least partly overlying and the detection of the user input comprises detection of actuation using the physical key layer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

change the state of a touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state based on detection of a user input made using a user interface of an electronic device, the user interface comprising the touch-sensitive input layer and a physical key layer wherein the respective layers are at least partly overlying, and the detection of the user input comprises detection of actuation using the physical key layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive input layer is configured to be responsive to skin contact or capacitive contact.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the touch-sensitive input layer is a capacitive touch-sensitive input layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to switch the touch-sensitive input layer into the non-detecting state if a skin or capacitive contact is not subsequently detected after a predetermined time following the detection of the physical key layer user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular physical key layer user input is associated with the performance of a particular function by the electronic device and the apparatus is configured to enable the particular function of the electronic device to be performed based on the subsequent detection of a particular touch user input from the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection of the user input comprises detection of actuation of a particular physical key of the physical key layer, the particular physical key associated with enabling a particular function of the electronic device to be performed, and wherein the apparatus is configured to enable the particular function associated with the particular physical key to be performed if skin or capacitive contact is subsequently detected using the touch-sensitive input layer in the detecting state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular touch input is associated with the performance of a particular function by the electronic device and the apparatus is configured to enable the particular function of the electronic device to be performed based on the subsequent detection of the particular touch user input from the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a particular combination of physical key layer user input and touch user input are associated with performance of a particular function and the apparatus is configured to enable the particular function of the electronic device to be performed based on the detection of the particular combination of physical key user input and the subsequent touch user input using the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subsequent detection of the touch user input using the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state enables the performance of a particular function by the electronic device, the particular function being changing the state of the electronic device from a locked state to an unlocked state.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subsequent detection of the skin contact or capacitive contact as the touch user input using the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state enables the performance of a particular function by the electronic device, the particular function being changing the state of the electronic device from a locked state to an unlocked state.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, in the locked state, the set of locked functions is limited with respect to the set of unlocked functions available to the electronic device in an unlocked state.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subsequent detection of the touch user input using the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state enables the performance of a particular function by the electronic device, the particular function being one or more of:

enabling selection of a particular network service card;

enabling toggling through event alerts types;

enabling toggling of properties of one or more input and/or output; and

enabling provision of input commands to a media player.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to change the state of the touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state at one or more of:

the location of the detected user input;

the neighbouring proximity of the location of the detected user input; and

a region across the entire touch-sensitive input layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein actuation of the physical key layer comprises depression of a physical key of the physical key layer and release of a physical key of the physical key layer, and the apparatus is configured to change the state of the touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state after depression and release of the physical key of the physical key layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to change the state of the touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state after depression of a physical key of the physical key layer and before release of a physical key of the physical key layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touch user input detectable by the touch-sensitive input layer when in the detecting state comprises one or more of:

a tap, a hold, a touch, a press, a slide, a flick, a circle, a shape, a multiple tap, a rub, directional input, and a hover.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to detect the user input made through the user interface of the electronic device.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises the user interface, or is the user interface, or is the electronic device, or is a module/circuitry for one or more of the same.

19. A computer readable medium comprising computer program code stored thereon, the computer readable medium and computer program code being configured to, when run on at least one processor perform at least the following:

change the state of a touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state based on detection of a user input made using a user interface of an electronic device, the user interface comprising the touch-sensitive input layer and a physical key layer wherein the respective layers are at least partly overlying, and the detection of the user input comprises detection of actuation using the physical key layer.

20. A method comprising:

changing the state of a touch-sensitive input layer from a non-detecting state to a detecting state based on detection of a user input made using a user interface of an electronic device, the user interface comprising the touch-sensitive input layer and a physical key layer wherein the respective layers are at least partly overlying, and the detection of the user input comprises detection of actuation using the physical key layer.