Touch screen computer-operated video display process and apparatus

• US 4,821,029 A
• Filed: 04/26/1984
• Issued: 04/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Academy of Applied Science The A Corporation MA
• Original Assignee: MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (3M Company), Academy of Applied Science
• Inventors: Logan, James D., Litvin, Yury
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US06/604,319
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/789, 340/706, 340/707, 340/708, 340/709, 340/710, 340/711, 340/712, 340/716, 340/721, 340/724, 178/18, 273/148 B, 273/DIG. 28
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

The invention provides a novel computer-operated touch screen video display system in which the human operator by first touching a sub-area or chamber of the screen containing predetermined graphic information and then pointing on the screen to a different sub-area or chamber where it is desired to display said information may cause the processing equipment automatically to effect the transfer of said graphic information to and display of the same at the different sub-area, while also storing the information in the memory of the processing equipment.

Claims

1. In a touch-screen video display system provided with data processing means for storing and displaying

information upon a touch-screen display, a process that comprises, dividing the area of the touch-screen display into a plurality of sub-areas;

displaying

information provided by the processing means in a predetermined sub-area, the provided information having a specific configuration;

touching at least a point of the said predetermined sub-area of the touch screen display and then subsequently touching at least a point of a different sub-area to which it is desired to transfer said information displayed at the predetermined sub-area;

controlling the processing means in response to the subsequent touching to transfer to, and display the same configuration of information displayed at the predetermined subarea at said different sub-area upon the said subsequent touching of said different sub-area; and

maintaining storage in said processing means of

the transferred information.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which said processing means is controlled in response to said touching at the said different subarea to terminate the display of said

information at said predetermined sub-area.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which the said

information remains in the said predetermined

sub-area and is copied in said different subarea.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1 and in which said dividing the area of the touch-screen display into a plurality of sub-areas comprises controlling the processing means so as to display on said touch-screen display predetermined boundaries of said sub-areas.

5. A computer monitor apparatus having, in combination, touch-screen video display means;

computer data processing means including means for storing and causing the displaying of information

upon the touch-screen display means at a plurality of sub-areas of the touch-screen display means;

means responsive to the touching of at least a point of a predetermined sub-area at which

information having a specific configuration is displayed and then the subsequent touching of at least a point of a different sub-area to which it is desired to transfer said information displayed at the predetermined sub-area for controlling the processing means to transfer to, and display the same configuration of information at said different sub-area; and

means for maintaining in storage in said computer storing means the transferred information.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and in which the processing is means

responsive to said touching at the said different sub-area for

terminating the display of said

information at said predetermined sub-area.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and in which means is

provided operable upon said transfer to command the

computer means to perform an additional transfer of information.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 and in which said computer data processing means includes means for displaying on said touch-screen display means predetermined boundaries of said plurality of sub-areas.

9. In a touch-screen video display system provided with data processing means for storing and displaying information upon a touch-screen display , a process that comprises, dividing the area of the touch-screen display into a plurality of sub-areas;

displaying information provided by the processing means in a predetermined sub-area, the provided information having a specific configuration;

touching at least a point of the said predetermined sub-area of the touch screen display and then subsequently touching at least a point of a different sub-area to which it is desired to transfer said information displayed at the predetermined sub-area; and

controlling the processing means in response to the subsequent touching to transfer to, and display the same configuration of information displayed at the predetermined subarea at said different sub-area upon the said subsequent touching of said different sub-area.

10. A process as claimed in claim 9 and in which said dividing the area of the touch-screen display into a plurality of sub-areas comprises controlling the processing means so as to display on said touch-screen display predetermined boundaries of said sub-areas.