METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR CALCULATING A VIRTUAL TOUCH POSITION

• US 20160239172A1
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynch, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for calculating a virtual touch position that is off the physical touch screen display. A user may provide a first swiping gesture in a main portion of a physical touch screen display, and an extended swiping gesture within a predefined threshold distance of an edge of the physical touch screen display. The extended swiping gesture is a continuation of the first swiping gesture. The virtual touch position may be calculated based on a trajectory of the first swiping gesture and/or the distance of the extended swiping gesture. An extended swiping gesture may continue around the edges to enable calculation of a virtual touch position regardless of size constraints of the physical touch screen display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a first swiping gesture;

determining that the first swiping gesture has reached a position within a predetermined threshold distance of an edge of a physical touch screen display;

receiving an indication of an extended swiping gesture within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display that is a continuation of the first swiping gesture; and

in response to receiving the indication of the extended swiping gesture, calculating, with a processor, a virtual touch position that is off the physical touch screen display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a distance of the extended swiping gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a trajectory, a velocity or an acceleration of the first swiping gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended swiping gesture changes direction while remaining within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating two virtual touch points as a part of a single input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated further in response to a release of the extended swiping gesture.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the extended swiping gesture is no longer within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display; and

in response to receiving the indication that the extended swiping gesture is no longer within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display, recalculating the virtual touch position.

8. 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 processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive an indication of a first swiping gesture;

determine that the first swiping gesture has reached a position within a predetermined threshold distance of an edge of a physical touch screen display;

receive an indication of an extended swiping gesture within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display that is a continuation of the first swiping gesture; and

in response to receiving the indication of the extended swiping gesture, calculate a virtual touch position that is off the physical touch screen display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a distance of the extended swiping gesture.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a trajectory, a velocity or an acceleration of the first swiping gesture.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the extended swiping gesture changes direction while remaining within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least calculate two virtual touch points as a part of a single input.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated further in response to a release of the extended swiping gesture.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

receive an indication that the extended swiping gesture is no longer within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display; and

in response to receiving the indication that the extended swiping gesture is no longer within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display, recalculate the virtual touch position.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions to:

receive an indication of a first swiping gesture;

determine that the first swiping gesture has reached a position within a predetermined threshold distance of an edge of a physical touch screen display;

receive an indication of an extended swiping gesture within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display that is a continuation of the first swiping gesture; and

in response to receiving the indication of the extended swiping gesture, calculate a virtual touch position that is off the physical touch screen display.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a distance of the extended swiping gesture.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated based on at least a trajectory, a velocity or an acceleration of the first swiping gesture.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the extended swiping gesture changes direction while remaining within the threshold distance of the edge of the physical touch screen display.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions to calculate two virtual touch points as a part of a single input.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the virtual touch position is calculated further in response to a release of the extended swiping gesture.