Electronic device and method with dual mode rear TouchPad

• US 8,775,966 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stolyarov, Denis B, Young, Hoi L
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, RAYEEZ R
• Application Number:
  US13/172,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/723, 715/762, 707/722
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

A method is provided in a user interface of an electronic device with a touch screen display with a first touch-sensitive surface on a first side and a second touch-sensitive surface on a second side. The method includes operating the device in a default mode; receiving a predetermined first touch input while in the default mode; enabling a navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface based on the receiving the predetermined first touch input; navigating through an image on the a touch screen display based on a further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface while in the navigation mode; and disabling the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface and operating the electronic device in the default mode based on a predetermined second touch input.

Claims

1. A method in a user interface of an electronic device comprising a first touch-sensitive surface including a display on a first side and a second touch-sensitive surface on a second side, the method comprising:

operating the electronic device in a default mode;

receiving a predetermined first touch input while in the default mode;

operating the electronic device in a navigation mode based on the receiving the predetermined first touch input, wherein the navigation mode includes displaying an image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display and providing an icon for indicating a reference position on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display;

navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on a further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface while in the navigation mode, wherein the navigating includes controlling the position of the icon on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display at a default rate when the further touch input is on the first touch-sensitive surface and controlling the position of the icon at a different rate when the further touch input is on the second touch-sensitive surface; and

disabling the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface and operating the electronic device in the default mode based on a predetermined second touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a predetermined first touch input comprises:

receiving the predetermined first touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling includes:

disabling the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface based on the predetermined second touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined second touch input triggers at least one of a hyperlink, a text entry, or an application launch prior to disabling the navigation mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling includes:

disabling the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface based on the predetermined second touch input on the first touch-sensitive surface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface after a predetermined time period of touch inactivity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigating further comprises:

highlighting a selectable portion of the image when the icon hovers over the selectable portion of the image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the highlighting includes:

providing at least one of;

a color effect, a haptic effect, a text effect, a sound effect, or a different icon shape.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the further touch input includes at least one of:

a single-finger glide input, a multi-finger glide input, a tap input, or a multiple tap input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigating includes:

selecting a selectable portion of the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selecting includes:

selecting the selectable portion of the image when the icon hovers over the selectable portion of the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display; and

the further touch input includes at least one of;

a press-and-hold input or a multiple tap input on the second touch-sensitive surface.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing the icon upon receiving the predetermined second touch input.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating the electronic device in the default mode includes scrolling with respect to the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface is a panning mode such that the navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface includes panning the image.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface is a zoom mode such that the navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface includes zooming the image.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface is a cursor positioning mode such that the navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface includes positioning a cursor on the image.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface is a selection mode such that the navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface includes selecting a portion of the image.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface is an icon mode such that the navigating through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display based on the further touch input on the second touch-sensitive surface includes positioning an icon with relative to the image.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling, while in the navigation mode, the position of the icon on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display at a different rate comprises:

controlling the position of the icon at a rate different than a rate of controlling the position of the icon in the default mode.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a first side and a second side;

a first touch-sensitive surface including a display on the first side;

a second touch-sensitive surface on the second side; and

a controller, coupled to the first touch-sensitive surface including a display and the second touch-sensitive surface, wherein the controller is configured to

operate in a default mode,

operate the electronic device in a navigation mode upon receiving a predetermined first touch input, wherein the navigation mode includes displaying an image on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display and provide an icon for indicating a reference position on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display;

enable a user to navigate through the image on the first touch-sensitive surface based on at least a further touch input, wherein the navigating includes controlling the position of the icon on the first touch-sensitive surface including a display at a default rate when the further touch input is on the first touch-sensitive surface and controlling the position of the icon at a different rate when the further touch input is on the second touch-sensitive surface, and

disable the navigation mode on the second touch-sensitive surface upon receiving a predetermined second touch input.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the navigation mode after a predetermined time period of inactivity.