Intermediate cursor touchscreen protocols

• US 8,786,569 B1
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Morton Silverberg
• Original Assignee: Morton Silverberg
• Inventors: Silverberg, Morton
• Primary Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/910,058
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04801 Cursor retrieval aid, i.e. visual aspect modification, blinking, colour changes, enlargement or other visual cues, for helping user do find the cursor in graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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

User protocols that utilize a computers touchscreen as a display sized touchpad for computer control with both an intermediate cursor and direct finger touch computer control capability. One protocol combines: cursor initiation where and when a single finger contacts appropriate touchscreen locations; accurate cursor positioning with directional and distance controlling screen contacting motions; and creating touchpad button down events with a delayed additional finger making momentary or continuing finger screen contacts while a preceding finger is still in contact. Cursor Initiation eliminates searching for the cursor, and enables a deft selection capability comparable to direct touch selection. An alternate protocol emulates current always-available cursor based computer operation. Both protocols enable: precision selection capability vs. significant direct finger contact selection limitations; probing how the image display is organized before selection; and the use of software and operating systems functionally similar to that on cursor based personal computers.

Claims

1. In a computer coupled to, and controlled by, a touch-sensitive display, a method utilizing a novel set of one or two fingered touchscreen contacting gestures that provides a communications protocol for control of the creation, positioning, utilization and termination of a cursor display that is intermediate between said finger contacts and control of the computer'"'"'s operation, the method comprising:

creation and positioning of a cursor display at a proximate location of a single finger'"'"'s area of contact with the touch-sensitive display with the contact of said finger on said touch-sensitive display, except when a cursor already exists on said touch sensitive display, or

said finger contact is on a predefined region, item or GUI'"'"'s reserved for, and capable of, directly initiating computer processing actions when contacted by a single finger; and

cursor positioning after a cursor is created that comprises;

one or more single finger directions of motion and distance of travel while in contact with said touch-sensitive display that control a direction and distance of travel of said cursor to position the cursor to identify a desired item or location on said touch-sensitive display; and

after the cursor is positioned, the two finger touchscreen contacting gestures that determine pre-designated processing actions with respect to the said cursor identified locations or items comprise;

maintenance of the contact between said touchscreen and a single finger that initiated, positioned or is now controlling the position of a cursor at a desired location or item while an additional single finger of the same or another hand makes one or more rapid momentary contacts or an extended duration contact with said touch-sensitive display at a predefined or user controllable minimum frequency or contact time duration with said touch-sensitive display;

wherein

the number of rapid momentary contacts and/or an extended duration contact by said additional finger with the touch sensitive display serve as signals to the computer for predefined processing actions at the locations, or information and items, identified with said cursor.

2. The method of claim 1, where terminating a cursor comprises:

lifting of the cursor initiating or positioning finger from touchscreen contact at essentially the same time as the additional finger is removed from it'"'"'s last contact with said touchscreen surface serving as a signal to terminate the cursor display.

3. The method of claim 1, where terminating a cursor comprises:

a single finger not making contact with the touchscreen within a predetermined or user controllable time period following each ending of single finger contact with the touchscreen surface.

4. The method of claim 1, where terminating a cursor comprises:

the use of two or more brief single finger contacts with said touch sensitive display when a cursor display is present on said touch sensitive display and the contact is not in a location responsive to direct single finger contacts.

5. The method of claim 1, where a cursor can be used in place of a direct touching single finger to actuate a designated direct touch item, area or GUI, comprising first positioning said cursor over the said direct touch item or area and said single finger positioning the cursor remaining in contact with the touchscreen surface;

and

an additional single finger making one or more momentary, or an extended contact with the touch sensitive display;

resulting in a computer responses equivalent to a said single finger making momentary contacts or an extended contact with said designated direct touch item or area.

6. The method of claim 1, where vertical or horizontal repositioning of the information on the touchscreen display comprises:

two near simultaneously contacting fingers moving a controlled distance in the desired vertical or horizontal direction of window movement while the two fingers remain in contact with the said touch-sensitive surface of the touchscreen display.

7. The method of claim 1, where when a cursor is displayed on the touch sensitive display the responses to the contact of a single finger with predefined regions or items identified and reserved for, and capable of, directly initiating prescribed computer processing comprises:

blockage of the response except for single finger contact with the virtual keys of an alphameric keyboard and included and/or individual editing or control keys.

8. The method of claim 1 where a “

Drag Select”

capability to select a string of text or the information in a rectangular selection area comprises;

a single finger positioning a cursor with one or more directional and distance controlling touchscreen contacting motions so to identify a selection starting point;

wherein said positioning finger remains in contact with said touchscreen until an additional finger establishes and maintains contact with the touchscreen surface;

and wherein said cursor positioning finger is then used to make one or more directional and distance controlling touchscreen contacting motions to reposition the cursor at an ending cursor position determined by lifting both the positioning and the additional finger from touchscreen contact.

9. The method of claim 1 where a “

Drop and Drag”

capability to reposition a previously selected object comprises;

a single finger making one or more directional and distance controlling touchscreen contacting motions to position a cursor on a previously selected object and remaining in contact with touchscreen surface until an additional finger establishes and maintains contact with the touchscreen surface and then said positioning finger makes single or multiple directional and distance controlling motions while in touchscreen contact to reposition the selected information from its initial position to an ending position determined by lifting both fingers from touchscreen contact.

10. The method of claim 1 where the generation and display of a “

Contextual”

menu of editing and/or processing options for a preselected item comprises;

positioning a cursor over an item that was previously selected with one or more directional and distance controlling single finger touchscreen contacting motions or a single finger cursor creating contact if the cursor has been terminated; and

wherein the cursor creating or positioning finger remaining in contact with the touchscreen surface while a second finger makes a predetermined, or user controllable, extended time of contact with the touchscreen.

11. In a computer coupled to, and controlled by, a touch-sensitive display, a method utilizing a novel set of one or two fingered touchscreen contacting gestures that provides a communications protocol for control of the creation, positioning, utilization and termination of a cursor display that is intermediate between said finger contacts and control of the computer'"'"'s operation, the method comprising:

a single cursor always available in an area of the touchscreen display not reserved for direct touch control, wherein

said cursor can be moved and repositioned on the display with single or multiple directional and distance controlling single finger screen contacting motions so to position the cursor to identify an item or location on the display;

wherein

after the cursor is positioned, the two finger touchscreen contacting gestures that determine pre-designated processing actions with respect to the said identified locations or items comprise maintaining contact between said touch-sensitive display and said single finger that initiated or positioned a cursor at a desired location or item while an additional single finger of the same or another hand makes one or more rapid momentary contacts or an extended duration contact with said touch-sensitive display at a predefined or user controllable minimum frequency or duration touch-sensitive display contact time;

wherein

the number of rapid momentary contacts and/or a extended duration contact by said additional finger with the touch sensitive display serve as signals to the computer for predefined processing actions at the locations, or information and items, identified with said cursor.

12. The method of claim 11 where vertical or horizontal scrolling of the display comprises:

two near simultaneously contacting fingers moving in contact with said touch-sensitive display.

13. The method of claim 11 where the cursor can be used in place of a direct touching finger to actuate a designated direct touch item by positioning said cursor over the said direct touch item and having one or more additional brief rapid finger contacts with the touch sensitive display serve as the equivalent of direct finger contacts.