Electronic device with dynamically adjusted touch area

• US 8,373,670 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Tang-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chatly, Amit
• Application Number:
  US12/616,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 method for adjusting at least a area of a touch screen is provided. The touch panel includes a first touch area and a second touch area, the first touch area is responsive to a stationary touch and corresponds to a first function, and the second touch area is responsive to a sliding touch and corresponds to a second function. The method includes: defining an overlapped touch area including at least part of the first touch area and at least part of the second touch area; receiving a touch input on the touch panel; when the touch input is started from the overlapped touch area, calculating a moving distance of the touch input and a touch time of the touch input; and when the touch time is within a threshold time, and the moving distance exceeds a threshold distance, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the second function.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a touch panel, the touch panel comprising:

a first touch area that is responsive to a stationary touch and corresponds to a first function;

a second touch area that is responsive to a sliding touch and corresponds to a second function; and

an overlapped touch area, comprising at least part of the first touch area and at least part of the second touch area;

wherein when a touch input on the touch panel is started from the overlapped touch area, a touch time of the touch input is within a threshold time, and a moving distance of the touch input is within a threshold distance, the overlapped touch area is set to correspond to the first function.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the touch input is started from the overlapped touch area, the touch time of the touch input is within the threshold time and the moving distance of the touch input exceeds the threshold distance, the overlapped touch area is set to correspond to the second function.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the touch input is started from the overlapped touch area, and the touch time of the touch input exceeds the threshold time, the overlapped touch area is set to correspond to the first function.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the touch input is started from a part of the first touch area that does not correspond to the overlapped touch area, the overlapped touch area is set to correspond to the first function.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the touch input is started from a part of the second touch area that does not correspond to the overlapped touch area, the overlapped touch area is set to correspond to the second function.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the overlapped touch area comprises all of the first touch area and all of the second touch area.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, being disposed on a portable device.

8. A method for adjusting a touch area of a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises a first touch area and a second touch area, the first touch area corresponds to a first function, and the second touch area corresponds to a second function, the method comprising:

defining an overlapped touch area comprising at least part of the first touch area and at least part of the second touch area;

receiving a touch input on the touch panel;

when the touch input is started from the overlapped touch area, calculating a moving distance of the touch input and a touch time of the touch input;

when the touch time is within a threshold time, and the moving distance is within a threshold distance, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the first function; and

when the touch time exceeds the threshold time, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the first function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the touch time is within the threshold time, and the moving distance exceeds the threshold distance, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the second function.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first touch area is responsive to a stationary touch and the second touch area is responsive to a sliding touch.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when the touch input is started from a part of the first touch area that does not correspond to the overlapped touch area, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the first function.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when the touch input is started from a part of the second touch area that does not correspond to the overlapped touch area, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the second function.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the overlapped touch area comprises all of the first touch area and all of the second touch area.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch panel is disposed on a portable device.

15. A non-transitory computer programmable media for adjusting a touch area of a touch panel, wherein the touch panel comprises a first touch area and a second touch area, the first touch area is responsive to a stationary touch and corresponds to a first function, and the second touch area is responsive to a sliding touch and corresponds to a second function, and the non-transitory computer programmable media is capable of performing the following functions:

defining an overlapped touch area comprising at least part of the first touch area and at least part of the second touch area;

receiving a touch input on the touch panel;

when the touch input is started from the overlapped touch area, calculating a moving distance of the touch input and a touch time of the touch input; and

when the touch time is within a threshold time, and the moving distance is within a threshold distance, setting the overlapped touch area to correspond to the first function.