Method for toggling between touch control operation modes

• US 7,352,364 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Jen Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US10/850,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 348/173, 348/174, 348/178, 178/18, 178/19
• 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

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for toggling between operation modes of a touch control device, being applied in an electronic data processing device with a touch control device and providing an electronic data processing device capable of toggling its operation between a first coordinate operation mode and a second coordinate operation mode to use the input of the touch control device, which comprises the steps of: setting a predetermined area of a touch control device as a switching mode area by a controller; determining a received position signal by the controller whether or not to act as an instruction for toggling its operation between the first coordinate operation mode and the second coordinate operation; and setting the current operation mode to another operation mode by the controller if the determination is true.

Claims

1. A method for toggling between touch control operation modes, being applied in an electronic data processing device with a touch control device and providing a switch of its operation between a first coordinate operation mode and a second coordinate operation mode to input by using said touch control device, and said method comprising the steps of:

(A) setting a predetermine area of said touch control device y a controller of said touch control device as a switching mode area;

(B) determining by said controller whether or not a received position signal to act as an instruction for toggling between said first coordinate operation mode and said second coordinate operation mode, wherein said controller determines a received position signal until all position signals are received, if at least one among said all position signals is not located in said switching mode area, said determination step is set as false, and said determination is used to confirm a normal operation of said switching operation mode and prevent toggling said operation modes by mistake; and

(C) setting the current operation mode to another operation mode by said touch control device, if Step (B) is determined as true.

2. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim 1, wherein said Step (B) determines a received position signal by said controller until all position signals are received;

if said all position signals are located in said switching mode area, then said determination step is set as true, and said determination step is used to confirm a normal operation of said switching operation mode and prevent toggling said operation modes by mistake.

3. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim 1, wherein said predetermined area is a user-defined area.

4. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim 1, wherein said electronic data processing deice is a notebook computer.

6. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim 1, wherein said first coordinate operation mode is an absolute coordinate operation mode.

7. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim 1, wherein said second coordinate operation mode is a relative coordinate operation mode.

5. The method for toggling between touch control operation modes of claim further comprising the step of:

(D) noticing said electronic processing data processing device by said controller about the current operation mode of said touch control device.

8. An electronic data processing device, capable of being toggled between a first coordinate operation mode and a second coordinate operation mode and using a touch control device for input, comprising a touch control device with a controller, wherein said electronic data processing device comprising:

means for setting a predetermined area of said touch control device by said controller of said touch control device as a switching mode area;

means for determining a received position signal by said controller whether to act as an instruction for toggling between said absolute coordinate operation mode and said relative coordinate operation mode;

if said determination step is true, then the current operation mode is set to another operation mode;

means for determining a received position signal by said controller until all position signals are received, if at least one among all said position signals is not located in said switching mode area, said determination step is set as false, and said determination step is used to confirm a normal operation of said switching operation mode and prevent toggling said operation modes by mistake, and

a central processing unit for processing an input selectively under said first coordinate operation mode and said second coordinate operation mode.

9. The electronic data processing device for claim 8, further comprising:

means for determining a received position signal by said controller until all position signals are received;

if said all position signals are located in said switching mode area, then said determination is set as true and said determination step is used to confirm a normal operation of said switching operation mode and prevent toggling said operation modes by mistake.

10. The electronic data processing device of claim 8, wherein said predetermine area is a user-defined area.

11. The electronic data processing device of claim 8, wherein said electronic data processing device is a notebook computer.

12. The electronic data processing device of claim 8, further comprising:

means for noticing said central processing unit about the current operation mode of said touch control device.

13. The electronic data processing device of claim 8, wherein said first coordinate operation mode is an absolute coordinate operation mode.

14. The electronic data processing device of claim 8, wherein said second coordinate operation mode is a relative coordinate operation mode.