Portable electronic device including a touch-sensitive display and method of controlling same

• US 8,717,309 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Almalki, Nazih
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/578,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A method includes detecting a touch on a first touch-sensitive display, applying force by an actuator on a touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch, and storing a first indicator of depression simulation for the first touch.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch on a touch-sensitive display;

when a first force applied by the first touch meets a first threshold, applying force by an actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch;

storing a first indicator to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the first touch;

when the first force applied by the first touch is less than or equal to a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch;

detecting a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second touch overlaps at least partially in time with the first touch, applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display, to simulate depression of the switch, and storing a second indicator to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the second touch.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing an indicator comprises setting a flag associated with the first touch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator is stored after determining that the first force applied by the first touch exceeds the first threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising changing the first indicator when the first force applied by the first touch is determined to be equal to or less than the second threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein changing the first indicator comprises clearing the first indicator.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein changing the first indicator comprises clearing a flag associated with the first touch.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising changing the first indicator when the first touch is no longer detected.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying force by the actuator to simulate depression of the switch is repeated when a second force applied by the second touch exceeds the first threshold.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising applying force, by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display, to simulate release of the switch when the force applied by the second touch is less than the second threshold.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising changing the first indicator when the force applied by the first touch is equal to or less than the second threshold and changing the second indicator when the force applied by the second touch is less than or equal to the second threshold.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

an actuator operable to apply force on the touch-sensitive display;

memory; and

a processor operably coupled to the memory, the actuator and the touch-sensitive display to detect a touch on the touch-sensitive display, when a first force applied by the first touch exceeds a first threshold, to cause the actuator to apply force on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch, store a first indicator to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the first touch, when the first force applied by the first touch is equal to or less than a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, to cause the actuator to apply force on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch, detect a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second touch overlaps at least partially in time with the first touch, cause the actuator to apply force on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of the switch, store a second indicator to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the second touch.

13. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch on a touch-sensitive display;

applying force by an actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch, and storing a first indicator to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the first touch;

applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch when a force applied by the first touch is less than a second threshold;

detecting a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second overlaps at least partially in time with the first touch, applying force, by the actuator, on the touch-sensitive display to simulate depression of a switch and storing a second indicator, in addition to the first indicator, to indicate simulated depression of the switch for the second touch;

applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to simulate release of the switch when a force applied by the second touch is less than a second threshold.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising changing the first indicator when the force applied by the first touch is less than the second threshold and changing the second indicator when the force applied by the second touch is less than the second threshold.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are utilized to identify the first and second touches after simulation of depression of the switch and prior to simulation of release of the switch.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first indicator is stored after determining that the force applied by the first touch meets a first threshold and the second indicator is stored after determining that the force applied by the second touch meets a second threshold.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first indicator is cleared after determining that the force applied by the first touch is less than or equal to the second threshold and the second indicator is cleared after determining that the force applied by the second touch is less than or equal to the second threshold.

19. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch on a touch-sensitive display;

when a first force applied by the first touch meets a first threshold, applying force by an actuator on the touch-sensitive display to provide first tactile feedback;

storing a first indicator to indicate the first tactile feedback for the first touch;

when the first force applied by the first touch is less than or equal to a second threshold that is less than the first threshold, applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to provide second tactile feedback;

detecting a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second touch overlaps at least partially in time with the first touch, applying force by the actuator on the touch-sensitive display to provide third tactile feedback, and storing a second indicator to indicate the third tactile feedback for the second touch.