System & method for dynamically labeled touch sensitive buttons in a digitizing display

• US 5,589,856 A
• Filed: 12/30/1994
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Verrier, Guy F., Stein, Frank L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, VUI
• Application Number:
  US08/378,306
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/146
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 system and method are disclosed for dynamically labeling touch sensitive buttons in a digitizing display. The display is partitioned into a main panel display region and a button panel display region. A touch overlay is also partitioned into a main panel touch region and a main panel display region. A button panel driver program defines button touch areas and button display areas enabling the dynamic labeling and relabeling of the touch sensitive buttons and the simultaneous touching of combinations of the buttons with either a touch input or a stylus input to the overlay.

Claims

1. A data processing system, a digitizing display for inputting two simultaneous touch inputs, comprising:

a display coupled to a computer, having a display surface partitioned into a main panel display region and a button panel display region;

a touch overlay coupled to said computer, having a touch input surface partitioned into a main panel touch region juxtaposed with said main panel display region, and partitioned into a button panel to each region juxtaposed with said button panel display region;

means for electrically isolating the main panel and button regions in the display and touch overlay;

a button panel driver program stored in said computer, for defining a button touch area in said button panel touch region in accordance with a button specification table, for outputting a button value when said button touch area receives a touch input;

said button panel driver program defining a button display area in said button panel display region, juxtaposed with said button touch area, said button display area for displaying a button indicium representing said button value and identifying the location of said button touch area;

said computer receiving a first touch input in said main panel touch region and a simultaneous second touch input in said button touch area and in response thereto, outputting a panel value and said button value, the multiple, simultaneous panel and button values being separately identified in a touch circuit;

said computer storing a default button specification table describing a plurality of button touch areas and corresponding button display areas in the event a button specification table is not available;

said button panel driver program using said default table to reconfigure said plurality of button touch areas in said touch overlay and said corresponding button display areas in said display;

an application program stored in said computer, having an alternate button specification table describing a plurality of alternate button touch areas and corresponding alternate button display areas for selection by a user; and

said button panel driver program using said alternate table to configure said plurality alternate button touch areas in said touch overlay and said corresponding alternate button display areas in said display when selected by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, which further comprises:

said touch overlay including both a touch input detection means and a radiative stylus pickup means.

3. The system of claim 2, which further comprises:

said computer receiving said second touch input as a radiative stylus input in said button touch area and in response thereto, outputting said button value.

4. The system of claim 1, which further comprises:

said button panel driver program defining an alternate button value and an alternate button indicium representing said alternate button value at said location of said button touch area.

5. The system of claim 2, which further comprises:

said computer receiving said first touch input as a radiative stylus input in said main panel touch region and said second touch input in said button touch area and in response thereto, outputting said button value.

8. The system of claim 1 or 6 further comprising:

a) multiplexer means coupled to the main and button panels of the display and overlay and in response to multiple, simultaneous inputs signals thereto providing separate output signals from the main and button panels.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a) separate driver means coupled to the button and main panels of the display.

10. The system of claim 1 or 6 further comprising:

a) means for confirming the button indicium on the display before receiving the simultaneous, multiple touch inputs to the main and button panels of the overlay.

6. In a data processing system, including a digitizing display for inputting either a touch or a stylus input, an apparatus for processing two simultaneous inputs, comprising:

a display means coupled to a computer, partitioned into a main panel display region and a button panel display region;

a touch/stylus overlay coupled to said computer, partitioned into a main panel touch/stylus region juxtaposed with said main panel display region, and partitioned into a button panel touch/stylus region juxtaposed with said button panel display region;

means for electrically isolating the main panel and button regions in the display and touch overlay;

a button panel driver program stored in said computer, for defining a button touch/stylus area in said button panel touch/stylus region in accordance with a button specification table, for outputting a button value when said button touch/stylus area has either a touch or a stylus input;

said button panel driver program defining a button display area in said button panel display region, juxtaposed with said button touch/stylus, said button display area in the event a button specification table is not available for displaying a button indicium representing said button value and identifying the location of said button touch/stylus area;

said computer receiving a first touch or stylus input in said main panel touch/stylus region and a simultaneous second touch or stylus input in said button touch/stylus area and in response thereto, outputting a panel value and said button value, the multiple, simultaneous panel and button values being separately identified in a touch/stylus circuit;

said computer storing a default button specification table describing a plurality of button touch areas and corresponding button display areas;

said button panel driver program using said default table to reconfigure said plurality of button touch areas in said touch overlay and said corresponding button display areas in said display;

an application program stored in said computer, having an alternate button specification table describing a plurality of alternate button touch areas and corresponding alternate button display areas for selection by a user in dynamically reconfiguring the button touch area;

said button panel driver program using said alternate table to define said plurality alternate button touch areas in said touch overlay and said corresponding alternate button display areas in said display when selected by a user.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, which further comprises:

said button panel driver program defining an alternate button value and an alternate button indicium representing said alternate button value at said location of said button touch area.

11. In a data processing system, including a digitizing display for inputting either a touch or a stylus input to a reconfigurable shift button in a button panel, a method for processing a shift button input, comprising the steps of:

storing first values in said system, identifying touch/stylus overlay button wires corresponding to a touch/stylus shift button on said digitizing display;

storing second values in said system, identifying a location for display on an indicium, said location corresponding to said touch/stylus shift button on said digitizing display;

storing an image of said indicium in said system, related to said second values;

displaying said indicium image at said location;

storing a button value representing said shift button, in said system, accessible by said first values;

receiving a touch/stylus input in said system, from said button wires and in response thereto, using said first values to access said button value;

outputting said button value in response to said shift button input;

storing third values in said system, identifying touch/stylus overlay button wires corresponding to an alternate touch/stylus shift button on said digitizing display;

storing fourth values in said system, identifying a location for display of a second indicium, said location corresponding to said alternate touch/stylus shift button on said digitizing display;

storing an image of said second indicium in said system, related to said fourth values; and

automatically changing said shift button to said alternate shift button on said digitizing display, by substituting said third values for said first values and substituting said fourth values for said second values and substituting said second indicium for said first indicium in the event a custom button panel table is not present in the system.

12. In a data processing system comprising a processor, at least one input device, a memory containing stored program instructions, and a display including a touch overlay panel, both the display and overlay panels divided into electrically isolated button and main panels, the button panel being reconfigurable into different button values, a method for providing multiple, simultaneous touch inputs to the overlay and outputting separate identifiable output signals to the system, comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a button panel driver program stored in the memory;

b) defining touch points for the overlay in a first table stored in the memory;

c) defining touch points for the display in a second table stored in the memory;

d) setting the touch points in the overlay in accordance with the first table;

e) setting the touch points in the display in accordance with the second table stored in the memory;

f) defining a default button table of images and values for the display and overlay button panels and storing the default button table in a partition in the memory;

g) initiating an application program stored in the memory;

h) determining if a button specification table of images and values for the display and overlay button panels is stored in the memory for the application program;

i) assigning the default images and values to the button panels of the display and overlay, if no button specification table exists in memory for the application or assigning the button images and values to the button panels of the display and overlay if the button specification table for the application is available in the memory;

j) painting the display with the images and values assigned in step (i);

k) receiving multiple, simultaneous touch inputs to the button and main panels of the overlay; and

l) outputting separately identifiable output signals from the system for the multiple simultaneous touch inputs in accordance with assigned images and values for the display and overlay.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

m) defining and storing a custom button specification table for a selected application program stored in the memory;

n) selecting either the default button specification table or the custom button specification table for use with the selected application program;

o) performing steps (b) through (h); and

p) initiate operation of the selected application program using the default button specification table or the custom button specification as selected by step (n).