Electronic device capable of executing commands therein and method for executing commands in the same

• US 8,115,740 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, John C., Wang, Yi Shen, Wang, Hui Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US12/061,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

The present invention provides a method for executing commands in an electronic device having a touch sensing element. A stylus or finger is used to touch the touch sensing element and move through several sensing areas on the touch sensing element. A responsive signal is generated by the touch sensing element according to the touched sensing areas. A processor then executes a corresponding command in accordance with the responsive signal.

Claims

1. A method of program opening in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a 3×

3 array of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the sensing areas being identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, an eighth sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, respectively, the method comprising;

detecting occurrence of successive touches from the first sensing area through the second, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, fifth, and first sensing areas on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;

generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and

in accordance with the responsive signal, opening on the display a calendar program that corresponds to the responsive signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device further has an execution button, the method further comprising:

detecting a termination of the occurrence of the successive touches on the touch surface; and

in response to a pressing of the execution button, starting the opening of the program after the termination of the occurrence of the successive touches is detected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device operates in either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input numbers;

and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the sensing areas are adapted to detect a path of movement of the successive touches.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprising:

detecting a pressing of the switch button; and

switching the electronic device between the dial mode and the command input mode after the pressing of the switch button is detected.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel, the method further comprising:

displaying a trace of movement of the successive touches on the touch panel.

6. A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a 3×

3 array of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the 3×

3 sensing areas being identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, an eighth sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, respectively, the method comprising;

detecting occurrence of successive touches from the fourth sensing area through the second sensing area and finally to the sixth sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;

generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and

in accordance with the responsive signal, executing a “

home”

command that corresponds to the responsive signal to show a default home screen on the display.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic device further has an execution button, the method further comprising:

detecting a termination of the occurrence of the successive touches on the touch surface; and

in response to a pressing of the execution button, starting the execution of the command after the termination of the occurrence of the successive touches is detected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the electronic device operates in either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input numbers;

and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the sensing areas are adapted to detect a path of movement of the successive touches.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprising:

detecting a pressing of the switch button; and

switching the electronic device between the dial mode and the command input mode after the pressing of the switch button is detected.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel, the method further comprising:

displaying a trace of movement of the successive touches on the touch panel.

11. A method of command execution in an electronic device having a touch sensing element and a display, the touch sensing element having a touch surface and a 3×

3 array of sensing areas defined on the touch surface, the 3×

3 sensing areas being identified, from left to right and then from top to bottom, as a first sensing area, a second sensing area, a third sensing area, a fourth sensing area, a fifth sensing area, a sixth sensing area, a seventh sensing area, an eighth sensing area, and a ninth sensing area, respectively, the method comprising;

detecting occurrence of successive touches from the second sensing area through the fourth, fifth, and sixth sensing areas in sequence, and finally to the eighth sensing area on the touch surface by the touch sensing element;

generating a responsive signal corresponding to the occurrence of the successive touches by the touch sensing element; and

in accordance with the responsive signal, executing an “

open camera”

command that corresponds to the responsive signal to activate a camera function on the display.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronic device further has an execution button, the method further comprising:

detecting a termination of the occurrence of the successive touches on the touch surface; and

in response to a pressing of the execution button, starting the execution of the command after the occurrence of the termination of the successive touches is detected.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronic device operates in either a dial mode or a command input mode, when the electronic device is in the dial mode, the sensing areas are adapted to input numbers;

and when the electronic device is in the command input mode, the sensing areas are adapted to detect a path of movement of the successive touches.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electronic device further has a switch button, the method further comprising:

detecting a pressing of the switch button; and

switching the electronic device between the dial mode and the command input mode after the pressing of the switch button is detected.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the touch sensing element is a touch panel, the method further comprising:

displaying a trace of movement of the successive touches on the touch panel.