Electronic device including touch-sensitive input surface and method of determining user-selected input

• US 8,384,677 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mak-Fan, David, Tong, Kuo-Feng, Bells, Matthew, Rider, Douglas, Langlois, Michael, Lee, Jong-Suk, Griffin, Jason T., Ho, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almeida, Cory
• Application Number:
  US12/109,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A method of determining input at a touch-sensitive input surface of a portable electronic device includes detecting a touch event at the touch-sensitive input surface, sampling touch attributes during the touch event, determining an actual touch location and determining at least one shift in touch location based on the touch attributes sampled during the touch event, and determining an input based on the actual touch location and the direction of shift of the touch location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a touch event on a touch screen display;

sampling touch attributes during the touch event;

determining a first touch location based on the touch attributes sampled at about a time of detecting actuation of a button by the touch screen display during the touch event and determining a first direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled prior to actuation of the button and a second direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled after actuation of the button; and

determining an input by determining a second location different from the first touch location based on the first touch location, the first direction of shift, and the second direction of shift.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the second location is further based on a size of the shift of the touch event.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a first touch location comprises determining an approximate point of change from the first direction of shift to the second direction of shift.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising confirming the first touch location based on the touch attributes sampled prior to actuation of the button.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising confirming the first touch location based on at least one of an area of contact and a contact pressure at the determined first touch location.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein sampling the touch attributes during the touch event comprises obtaining touch attributes at regular intervals between detecting the touch event and ending the touch event.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein sampling the touch attributes during the touch event comprises receiving touch signals and determining X and Y locations of contact from the touch signals during the touch event.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising storing the touch attributes after each sample is taken.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the first direction of shift comprises determining the first direction of shift based on a limited number of samples taken up to the actuation of the button.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the second direction of shift comprises determining the second direction of shift direction based on a limited number of samples taken after actuation of the button.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising confirming a change from the first direction of shift to the second direction of shift from a contact area of the touch event.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second direction of shift of the touch event immediately follows the first direction of shift of the touch event.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a processor operably coupled to a touch screen display and configured to;

detect a touch event on the touch screen display,

sample touch attributes during the touch event,

determine a first touch location based on the touch attributes sampled at about a time of detecting actuation of a button by the touch screen display during the touch event and determine a first direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled prior to actuation of the button and a second direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled after actuation of the button, and

determine an input by determining a second touch location different than the first touch location based on the first touch location, the first direction of shift, and the second direction of shift.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein an approximate point of change from the first direction of shift to the second direction of shift is determined and the approximate point of change is identified as the first touch location.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first touch location is confirmed based on the touch attributes sampled prior to actuation of the button.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the first touch location is confirmed based on at least one of an area of contact and a contact pressure at the determined first touch location.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the touch attributes are sampled during the touch event by obtaining touch attributes at regular intervals between detecting the touch event and ending the touch event.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device comprises an actuator.

19. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first touch location is an approximate point of change from the first direction of shift to the second direction of shift.

20. The electronic device according to claim 13, further comprising confirming a change from the first direction of shift to the second direction of shift from a contact area of the touch event.

21. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the second direction of shift of the touch event immediately follows the first direction of shift of the touch event.

22. A computer-readable storage device having computer-readable code embodied therein executable by a processor for detecting a touch event on a touch screen display, sampling touch attributes during the touch event, determining a first touch location based on the touch attributes sampled at about a time of detecting actuation of a button by the touch screen display during the touch event and determining a first direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled prior to actuation of the button and a second direction of shift of the touch event based on the touch attributes sampled after actuation of the button, and determining an input by determining a second location different from the first touch location based on the first touch location, the first direction of shift, and the second direction of shift.