Apparatus and method for determining selection of touchable items on a computer touchscreen by an imprecise touch

• US 6,259,436 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Singh, Mona, Moon, Billy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/219,207
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/113, 345/115, 345/145, 345/146, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 178/18.01, 178/18.02
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

An apparatus and method of determining which touchable item depicted on a computer touchscreen to select for an imprecise touch, including the steps of identifying all potentially selected touchable items for the imprecise touch, calculating a probability of intended selection for each potentially selected touchable item, and selecting the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection. It will be seen that the identifying step includes determining which touchable items depicted on the computer touchscreen overlap with the imprecise touch. The probability calculating step is a function of a distance between a centerpoint of the imprecise touch and a centerpoint for each potentially selected touchable item and/or a function of an overlap area between the imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item. The selecting step further includes comparing the calculated probability of intended selection for each potentially selected touchable item and determining whether the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection is greater than the calculated probability of intended selection for the potentially selected touchable items by a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A method of determining which touchable item depicted on a computer touchscreen to select for an imprecise touch, comprising the following steps:

(a) identifying all potentially selected touchable items for said imprecise touch;

(b) calculating a probability of intended selection for each said potentially selected touchable item;

(c) comparing the calculated probability of intended selection for each said potentially selected touchable item; and

(d) determining whether the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection is greater than the calculated probability of intended selection for the other potentially selected touchable items by a predetermined amount.

2. The method of claim 1, said identifying step further comprising determining which touchable items depicted on said computer touchscreen overlap with said imprecise touch.

3. The method of claim 1, said probability of intended selection being a function of a distance between a centerpoint of said imprecise touch and a centerpoint for each said potentially selected touchable item.

4. The method of claim 1, said probability calculating step being a function of an overlap area between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

5. The method of claim 3, said probability calculating step also being a function of an overlap area between said imprecise touch and each said potentially selected touchable item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection is selected when it has a value greater than the respective values for the other potentially selected touchable items by at least said predetermined amount.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of activating a function corresponding to said selected touchable item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein no potentially selected touchable item is selected when the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection does not have a value greater than the respective values for the other potentially selected touchable items by said predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of informing a user of said computer touchscreen that an ambiguity exists with respect to said imprecise touch.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined amount is a function of an action taken in accordance with selection of said potentially selected touchable items.

11. The method of claim 3, said probability of intended selection being a function of the square of said distance between the centerpoint of said imprecise touch and the centerpoint of each potentially selected touchable item.

12. The method of claim 3, said probability calculating step further comprising:

(a) determining a centerpoint for said imprecise touch;

(b) determining a centerpoint for each said potentially selected touchable item; and

(c) calculating a distance between said centerpoint of said imprecise touch and said centerpoint of each said potentially selected touchable item.

13. The method of claim 5, said probability calculating step further comprising:

(a) determining a total area for each potentially selected touchable item;

(b) determining an area of overlap between said imprecise touch and each said potentially selected touchable item; and

(c) determining a relative overlap between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said relative overlap is calculated by dividing the overlap area into the total area for each potentially selected touchable item.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining a value for each potentially selected touchable item by dividing the distance between the centerpoint of said imprecise touch and the centerpoint of each potentially selected touchable item into the relative overlap of each potentially selected touchable item.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of normalizing said value by dividing the value of each said potentially selected touchable item by the total value for all potentially selected touchable items.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest normalized value is selected.

18. The method of claim 4, said probability calculating step further comprising:

(a) determining a total area for each potentially selected touchable item;

(b) determining an area of overlap between said imprecise touch and each said potentially selected touchable item; and

(c) determining a relative overlap between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of squaring the relative overlap area for each said potentially selected touchable item to determine a value therefrom.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of normalizing said value by dividing the value of each potentially selected touchable item by the total value for all potentially selected touchable items.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest normalized value is selected.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08 to 0.12.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08 to 0.12.

26. In a computer screen having a memory circuit, a processing circuit, and a touchscreen, a method of discriminating among a plurality of touchable items displayed on said touchscreen for a touch overlapping at least two said touchable items, comprising the following steps:

(a) calculating an area of overlap between said touch and each touchable item;

(b) selecting the touchable item having the greatest overlap area with said touch; and

(c) activating a function corresponding to said selected touchable item when it has an overlap area greater than the overlap areas of the other touchable items by a predetermined amount.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of informing a user of said computer touchscreen that an ambiguity exists with respect to said touch when the selected touchable item has an overlap area which is not greater than the overlap areas of the other touchable items by a predetermined amount.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the following steps:

(a) calculating a distance between a centerpoint of said touch and a centerpoint of each touchable item to determine a first value;

(b) calculating a relative overlap for each touchable item by dividing said area of overlap by a total area for each touchable item to determine a second value;

(c) dividing the second value by the first value for each touchable item to determine a third value; and

(d) normalizing said third value for each touchable item by dividing said third value by a total third value for all touchable items.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the following steps:

(a) calculating a relative overlap area for each touchable item by dividing said area of overlap by a total area for each touchable item to determine a first value;

(b) squaring said relative overlap area for each touchable item to determine a second value; and

(c) normalizing said first value for each touchable item by dividing said second value by a total value for all touchable items.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined amount for a touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the predetermined amount for a touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08-0.12.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08 to 0.12.

32. A portable intelligent communications device, comprising:

(a) circuitry for performing telephony operations;

(b) a memory circuit for storing a plurality of touchable items representative of certain functions of said portable intelligent communications device;

(c) a touchscreen for displaying said touchable items; and

(d) a processing circuit for determining which touchable item displayed on said touchscreen to select for an imprecise touch according to a probability of intended selection for each potentially selected touchable item;

wherein said processing circuit compares the calculated probability of intended selection for each said potentially selected touchable item and determines whether the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection is greater than the calculated probability of intended selection for the other potentially selected touchable items by a predetermined amount.

33. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said processing circuit identifies all potentially selected touchable items for said imprecise touch.

34. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 33, wherein said processing circuit determines which touchable items depicted on said touchscreen overlap with said imprecise touch.

35. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said processing circuit calculates said probability of intended selection as a function of a distance between a centerpoint of said imprecise touch and a centerpoint for each potentially selected touchable item.

36. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said processing circuit calculates said probability of intended selection as a function of an overlap area between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

37. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 35, wherein said processing circuit also calculates said probability of intended selection as a function of an overlap area between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

40. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said processing circuit selects the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection when it has a value greater than the respective values for the other potentially selected touchable items by at least said predetermined amount.

41. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 40, wherein said processing circuit activates a function corresponding to said selected touchable item.

42. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said processing circuit does not select any potentially selected touchable item when the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest calculated probability of intended selection does not have a value greater than the respective values for the other potentially selected touchable items by said predetermined amount.

43. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 42, wherein said processing circuit informs a user of said touchscreen that an ambiguity exists with respect to said imprecise touch.

44. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 32, wherein said predetermined amount is a function of an action taken in accordance with selection of said potentially selected touchable items.

45. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 35, wherein said processing circuit calculates said probability of intended selection as a function of the square of said distance between the centerpoint of said imprecise touch and the centerpoint of each potentially selected touchable item.

46. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 35, wherein said processing circuit determines a centerpoint for said imprecise touch, determines a centerpoint for each said potentially selected touchable item, and calculates a distance between said centerpoint of said imprecise touch and said centerpoint of each said potentially selected touchable item.

47. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 37, wherein said processing circuit determines a total area for each potentially selected touchable item, determines an area of overlap between said imprecise touch and each said potentially selected touchable item, and determines a relative overlap between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

48. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 47, wherein said processing circuit calculates said relative overlap by dividing the overlap area into the total area for each potentially selected touchable item.

49. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 47, wherein said processing circuit determines a value for each potentially selected touchable item by dividing the distance between the centerpoint of said imprecise touch and the centerpoint of each potentially selected touchable item into the relative overlap of each potentially selected touchable item.

50. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 49, wherein said processing circuit normalizes said value by dividing the value of each said potentially selected touchable item by the total value for all potentially selected touchable items.

51. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 50, wherein said processing circuit selects the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest normalized value.

52. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 36, wherein said processing circuit determines a total area for each potentially selected touchable item, determines an area of overlap between said imprecise touch and each said potentially selected touchable item, and determines a relative overlap between said imprecise touch and each potentially selected touchable item.

53. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 52, wherein said processing circuit squares the relative overlap area for each said potentially selected touchable item to determine a value therefrom.

54. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 53, wherein said processing circuit normalizes said value by dividing the value of each potentially selected touchable item by the total value for all potentially selected touchable items.

55. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 54, wherein said processing circuit selects the potentially selected touchable item having the greatest normalized value.

56. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 50, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

57. The portable intelligent communications device of claim 50, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08 to 0.12.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a high discrimination is approximately 0.35 to 0.45.

59. The method of claim 54, wherein the predetermined amount for a potentially selected touchable item requiring a low discrimination is approximately 0.08 to 0.12.